# PFD when do you wear yours



## Peril

Didn't wear one when I first got the yak. Now I wear it all the time - has pockets for pliers, scissors, rubbish, muesli bars etc and camelbak, so is just a permanent part of my fishing system.

If you're not going to get run down by boats you don't need one!


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## sam60

there has been lots of discussion about to wear or not to wear a PFD, I prefer to wear one at all times and in the worst case scenario if you or your wife ended up off the yak and in the middle of a dam like awoonga or similar could you remount the yak ? or swim back to shore if you were 300 or 400 metres from shore and in bad weather? the PFD will offer buoyancy and also you could have a whistle attached to attract attention. I would suggest you encourage her to think about " worse case scenario" and tell her she can store her digital camera in the pocket in the front to take pics.


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## bazzoo

i dont go offshore in any of my my kayaks , so dont wear one, have paddeled for maybe 20 years in skinny water and as yet have not had a problem , but if i were to stick the nose out into rough water , would definately wear one


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## bushwoodboy

Wear mine all the time wouldn't go out without it. I am a competent swimer , but you can't be to careful out on the water. Mal.


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## onemorecast

I always have one with me but it depends where I am fishing as to whether I put it on. If it is closed quiet water without much boat traffic I don't, in bigger more open water I do.

I think it's just a matter of what risk each of us is willing to live with.


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## WayneD

I don't wear one in calm waters any more, only if venturing outside.


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## YakAtak

I only wear mine out on the bay


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## RedPhoenix

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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## paffoh

People give me funny looks but I don't care, I will ALWAYS wear mine and so will the person in the front of the yak, no matter how much they object to wearing a bright orange PFD... Its all about prevention for me, I haven't been swimming for some time now and even though I know I could if needed im not sure given the strange conditions I tend to encounter on the water that I could do it to save my life.

Infact im going to test ours ( Manual PFD type 1 ) very soon and buy replacement canisters to make sure they are both in working order, then im going to invest in a decent type 2 or 3 jacket so that no matter the conditions I feel safe or in most cases safer.


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## Dodge

Always have the PFD on board, but only wear it in traffic or sloppy conditions or at night if alone


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## DGax65

I always wear mine. I've never heard an announcement from the bridge telling me to go back to my stateroom and get my PFD. When I have rolled my yak it usually comes at a time when it is not expected (flat calm, water like a mirror and I forgot to leave my trolled bait in freespool :shock: :x  big fish running away from yak at a right angle=water is wet). The worst near-death kayak experience that I've had was a sailboat that quietly overtook me then promptly turned into me from a distance of <15m. I'm glad I had the PFD on. You never know when something is going to happen. Might as well be prepared.


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## Billybob

Always when I'm offshore.


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## sitonit

Always wear it, if you knew when things were going to happen it wouldnt be an accident, and it is colour cordinated with my rashie and kayak so it is par of the whole look :lol:


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## JD

Like sitonit mine is the same colour as my yak. I always wear it, it's piece of mind and also holds gps, vhf, braid sissors etc. At first I used to have it strapped on the back but figured I'd never get it on if I'd gone into the water. I'm thinking of getting one of those fishing vest type pfds.


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## Davey G

mine gets carried along but rarely worn. If conditions are super lumpy/offshore I'll put it on but most of the time during the suimmer months I don't. If its the middle of winter I'll wear it most of the time, even in estuaries.

I've surfed all my life and taken a heap of beatings from large waves so I guess I'm comfortable with being dumped and held underwater by a set of waves. Even if I did find myself in an unexpected situation on the yak I'd be fairly confident of bobbing to the surface and remounting my yak easily.

My PFD only has a small pocket and no camelback pouch so its not that great for carrying stuff. Perhaps if I had a better designed one I may wear it more often...??


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## Fishing Man

mate i only ever wear it when going offshore, 
up here in qld its just too hot to wear it and its just awkward when fishing impoundments/estuaries. experiment with yours and see what suits but i certainly dont use it all the time,


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## sitonit

I got a new one for xmas which is really comfortable and is nice to wear I keep my mirror in the pocket it has my knife attached and my epirb when I go a long way out so it has practical use as well as safety.
Wearing them is personal choice but I have been in a situation on a sinking boat that made me realise the value of wearing lifejackets.
A mate and I were heading out to fish Wolf Rock of DI when the welded seam in a new boat split the boat sank in seconds we spent 5 or so hours bobbing around, I had insisted we put or lifejackets on to cross the bar and we hadnt taken them off and stowed them yet thank goodness.
Davey if you could swim back to your kayak and get back on it wouldnt be an emergency. :lol:


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## PeterJ

Always


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## JT

Always. As Ken said, it is akin to a seat belt and why on earth wouldn't you? Wind gust comes, you're reaching for the net, loose balance and go over. Within 4 seconds that same wind gust whips your yak away and it is moving at a rate that means you won't catch it. Many scenarios all theoretical of course until it happens.
:?:


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## andybear

Mine gets worn about 45seconds, before the yak touches the water, and stays on till Im on dry land, and decided the fishing is over for the day. There was/is one exception, and that is when on a cold day, and it warms up, have to take it off to remove the winter woollie. (only if there are no waves, and very cautiously.) Then it goes back on again. Despite having been fairly fit, and reasonably strong for most of my life, despite many hours learning to swim, I never perfected the skill, so that makes me a bit more careful.

Cheers all Andybear :lol:


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## Jeffo

All the time.

In some ways I am more concerned about currents in some rivers than offshore


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## Gator

Hi Yo: ALONE :shock: Where is TONTO and SCOUT :lol:

Anyway: for the posted question - I do not go out without one - As stated by someone else; if it fits properly you will not even know it is there. Been dumped by a passing tinny and glad of two things: I had my PFD on and my yak tethered other wise I would have not only been in deep water; but, in deep smelly stuff too


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## kingfisher111

I only wear mine, gas cartridge type, EVERY single time I go out. Steve.


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## JW

Always, gass cartridge dunny seat type, dont even know I have it on.


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## Captain

I always wear it, I believe its law to have one so if you got to carry one then why not wear it. It's not going to be of any use if you fall out of your kayak and your kayak drifts away from you.

Brian
Cobra PF


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## victor-victor

Always because its full of pockets and you never know when you need it.


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## knot-too-fast

As stated by others i also always wear one all the time.
With two velcro/zipper type pockets they hold a small tackle box, folding knife, whistle and pliers.
It gives me confidence to head out further also.
But each to there own i guess.


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## troppo

I used to always wear my pfd.

But then my wife convinced me to only wear it when I went yakking.


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## bazzoo

hah, Troppo, woman are such spoil sports :? :?


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## GuruGrant

Anyone with a yak should own a pfd. And if you paid good money for it then it makes sense to use it. As with a lot of safety equipment, you never appreciate it until you need it.


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