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Evenstar · 02-08-2006, 10:20 PM

Silver Duck,

Thanks for your concern for my safety - I really do appreciate that.

I explained up a few posts why a flag/whip isn't really an option for my type of kayak. It's one of those suggestions that seems really practical until you actually try to put it into practice, and then it just doesn't work.
(I actually inquired about a flag at last April's Paddlesport Show at UNH, and found out why they aren't such a good idea.)

When a kayak is in choppy water the most visible parts are the body of the paddler, and the blades of the paddles - that's why I wear a red PFD and use paddles that have bright yellow/orange blades. I can easily spot another moving kayak a good mile away in most conditions - and it's almost always the blades of the paddles that I notice first. The worse thing that a kayaker can do is to just sit still in the water, hoping that an approaching powerboat sees them - moving makes you much more vissible.

I don't want to get run over at any speed, so I'm constantly on the lookout for approaching boats. I avoid the high traffic areas as much as possible, and I stay near the shore when visibility isn't good.

I'm for a speed limit because I know that speed limits actually do make boating safer, for several reasons.
1.) With all else being equal, a slower boat will see me much sooner than a faster moving boat.
2.) And, once I am seen, a slower moving boat will have more time to avoid me.
3.) If neither boat sees me - I still have a pretty good chance of getting out of the way of a slower moving boat.

02-08-2006, 10:20 PM	#27
Evenstar Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Littleton, NH Posts: 382 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Silver Duck, Thanks for your concern for my safety - I really do appreciate that. I explained up a few posts why a flag/whip isn't really an option for my type of kayak. It's one of those suggestions that seems really practical until you actually try to put it into practice, and then it just doesn't work. (I actually inquired about a flag at last April's Paddlesport Show at UNH, and found out why they aren't such a good idea.) When a kayak is in choppy water the most visible parts are the body of the paddler, and the blades of the paddles - that's why I wear a red PFD and use paddles that have bright yellow/orange blades. I can easily spot another moving kayak a good mile away in most conditions - and it's almost always the blades of the paddles that I notice first. The worse thing that a kayaker can do is to just sit still in the water, hoping that an approaching powerboat sees them - moving makes you much more vissible. I don't want to get run over at any speed, so I'm constantly on the lookout for approaching boats. I avoid the high traffic areas as much as possible, and I stay near the shore when visibility isn't good. I'm for a speed limit because I know that speed limits actually do make boating safer, for several reasons. 1.) With all else being equal, a slower boat will see me much sooner than a faster moving boat. 2.) And, once I am seen, a slower moving boat will have more time to avoid me. 3.) If neither boat sees me - I still have a pretty good chance of getting out of the way of a slower moving boat. __________________ "Boaters love boats . . . Kayakers love water."