BE CAREFUL OUT THERE

[therover]

Reading in my paper today about the rip currents and how many rescues they did just on Saturday ( I am here in NJ).

Be careful out there. I will be heading down tomorrow morning, but I may just dry sand and wet sand hunt...don't know if I want to venture out too far at this point, but the PI will be coming with me so I will at least be getting my feet wet.

JC

 

[grumpyolman]

Do all of us who work the water even know the proper thing to do if caught in a rip (or river current)?
After reading about the drowning of another water hunter a few posts ago and with the unforgiveable nature of Mother Nature, why don't we add to the the MDter Code of Ethics that when in the water, and not actually set up with diving equip..BC, air, etc, that we all volunteer to wear life jackets? I surf fish. My friends go out in chest deep water as they can get closer to the fish (the rings?). They don't wear life jackets and one of em can't even swim. They mock me because I wear an inflatable, CG approved life jacket.(Even the Coasties and water PDs use them aboard their emergency craft) It's comfortable and it's out of the way, but I always have the option of pulling the handle and being floated like a cork with a bright orange vest around my neck and chest for the first available helo to spot.
There could be a debate for years whether one should get a manually activated inflate or the auto inflate. I have learned that the auto inflate will take splashing and won't inflate just because some water splashed on you. If a breaker lifted you off the sand and you went back on your feet I suspect it would inflate. Darn guys! With what all the rest we spend on our 'toys' an inflateable life jacket, $125-$250+ depending on style and place of purchase, I think a vest would be a priority piece of equipment. Might be interesting for others to recount close calls. Regards...Jim.

 

[bdahunter]

I have a mustang inflateable that I wished I'd had the presence of mind to take to Horseshoe Bay on Saturday morning.(2 hours riding galloping white horses at Horseshoe Bay) It was much rougher than I anticipated and the rip currents were running fierce.
That said I do take my inflateable with me on occassion when I know it's going to be really dangerous in the water.

Cheers,

BDA

 

[Crash620]

and wear all the time. You never know why we may need it. Not necessarily because of just rough surf. BDA made a perfect statement that we should reflect on: "I do take my inflateable with me on occassion when I know it's going to be really dangerous in the water." Yet he did not have it the other day in Horseshoe Bay. If nothing else they could save our equipment. Lets be realistic, any of us could get swamped, or pulled into a rip unexpectedly, and we probably would not have a problem swimming out of it either, but I know I personally would have a tough time dropping my equipment. Thats were the trouble starts. I know I would probably tell myself I could make it back with all this stuff....I think I would rather drown (j/k) than have to tell my wife I dumped my detector, and now I need to go buy a new one. She probably wouldn't believe I would have dropped it anyway (After all, I did chase a $300.00 stunt kite into 3' chop in Long Island Sound in February. The water was about 38F and I got about 30 yards from shore before I finally came to my sense). I have long since contemplated getting an Inflatable vest. I think its time had come .....

 

[Bobbie]

n/t

 

[Sanddigger]

n/t