Boating  

I went white water rafting and was forced to wear one, and it was a good thing too because I ended up in the water more than once. lol But I was also on a speed boat in the middle of the Caribbean Sea and I didn't wear the one they gave me, I sat on it. LOL I figured I was safer on the ocean than I was on a fast moving river full of rapids and if I happened to fall in the sharks would have eaten me and there wasn't a dang thing a life jacket was going to be able to save.

I rarely go out on a private boat, so this doesn't really apply to me, but if I did, I would most certainly wear a life jacket. It matters not what you look like when you are dead through drowning, so to my mind, a life jacket is essential, whatever it looks like.

Most times, when I've been on a boat, it's been a commercial ferry, and they have their own emergency life jackets, but there are leisure parks in this country where you can take rowing boats or motorised boats onto a lake or river. They are bound to give you lifejackets, by law, and if you refuse to wear them, you don't get to go on the boats.

Brightest Blessings.

we do canoeing during a good part of the summer and while the canoe wont tip (its a sportspal with foam on the inside and on the ouside...we do make our kids wear one when they go out, but my hubby and i typically dont wear one (we mostly canoe on small lakes.)

I agree, and I make sure everyone else is wearing one as well, even when they are just on a paddle boat not far from shore. Your right you just never know :)

it all depends if i'm on the bay ,lake or ocean. on the ocean yes but lakes and bay no ,i'm a pretty good swimmer so i feel safe

I usually wear one, especially if I'm at the ocean.

Isn't it against the law to NOT wear one? Or maybe it's just that the boat must have on hand, one life jacket for each person on the boat? And that all children are to be wearing one? I'm sure the laws differ from state to state and province to province, and country to country.

I haven't been boating in years, but anytime I have been, I have worn a life jacket. The only exception was when riding on a large ferry boat in Toronto over to the Toronto Islands. And being a parent to impressionable youngsters, I would insist on wearing one, as it sets a good example (the same goes for wearing a helmet when riding a bicycle).

I think the few times I have gone boating we did...I was a kid then, so had no shame...they make them so nice and lightweight now, so it would seem silly not to wear one, especially since I'm a terrible swimmer :)

I don't think I've gone boating since I was 7 years old on my grandpa's pontoon boat...he used to let me drive it :) My hubby loves boats but now I am nervous about taking the kids since they are so little...

It's not often I get on a boat, I'm a landlubber really! When we went on a boat in Rhodes it was one of those glass bottomed boat and no life jackets were available. I can swim but not great distances so providing land was in sight I would be ok, and at least with leisure boats you do have land not too far away. Even if there were life jackets I don't think I would put one on, it's a comfort more than proud thing.

I was only ever out on a boat once.... and boy did I cling to that jacket for dear life lol..... I cant swim!!!! :-)