Safety first, in and on the water

Life jackets and PFD’s

It is that time of the year again. Summer is around the corner and boats, RV’s and travel trailers are coming out of their winter sleep and are being prepared for some water fun or camping trips by their proud owners.

Here at the lake, it can get pretty busy those summer months, especially during the weekends when everyone wants to get out and enjoy their water toys, whether it is a paddle board, boat, kayak, or any other type of water craft.

A life jacket is your best defence against cold-water-shock. Still every year hundreds of Canadians drown while boating. Maybe they fell into the water by accident or were just taking a dip to cool off. Only a small amount of these people were wearing a life jacket or wearing a life jacket or PFD properly. Meaning that it was properly fitted and fastened.

There are still a lot of boaters either without a Boat License or they are not sticking to the rules. Too many times we encounter boats that are not keeping a safe distance from paddlers. Proper etiquette is too often being ignored.

As paddlers we are vulnerable out on the water. Besides making sure that we stick to the rules, we need to wear all our safety gear and wearing a Canadian approved standard life jacket or PFD is mandatory. Don’t leave home without it, wear it, maintain it.

For more information on the different types of PFD’s and which one to choose, visit https://www.tc.gc.ca/en/services/marine/getting-started-safe-boating/choosing-lifejackets-personal-flotation-devices.html