Poll On New Lifejacket Rules

[Catchin Jack]

The mandatory waring of PFD’s is not about saving lives or revenue raising, just another little form of control, another small law so the noose tightens’ the power that be want a compliant population’ just do as your told. Children at school are trained to do as the authorities tell them like no hat no play! How long before every one will have to wear a hat when outside? For our own good of course

Not about saving lives? Another form of control?

It's all about saving lives and minimising the risk of deaths.

I'm sorry you think that way about it kikila.

[Testlab]

The mandatory waring of PFD’s is not about saving lives or revenue raising, just another little form of control, another small law so the noose tightens’ the power that be want a compliant population’ just do as your told. Children at school are trained to do as the authorities tell them like no hat no play! How long before every one will have to wear a hat when outside? For our own good of course

Here's a little game Kikila... It's called "Hide and Seek" here's how you play it.

1. Get a 3m tinny and old 5HP outboard

2. Launch at DeRubbins three quarters of the way through a 1.9m flood tide

3. Fill the tinny with one adult (you) and 4 children under 12 along with assorted gear

4. For extra challenge, you're old, unfit and can't swim properly and you won't wear a PFD

5. Attempt to drive tinny alongside the Hawkesbury road bridge pylons through the tidal eddy

6. Capsize tinny

Now, while you hold onto to the capsized tinny for dear life the kids have a chance to hide.

Next you start counting, minutes that is, waiting for someone to pass by and see you.

The seeking part is done by the Water Police, Marine Rescue and other boaters who all swarm to help you as soon as the alarm is raised. Now where are those pesky kids hiding? Where do we seek them? Do we use binoculars and thermal cameras to see if they've floated upstream or do we use fish finders and divers?

Oh, you get bonus points for surviving early spring water temps for longer than, say 60 mins depending on your age and condition and how long until hypothermia takes hold. And.... There's a bonus multiplier for doing it at night.

Seriously... 1 to 6 above happened last month around 0900 on a weekday. Fortunately a passing river contractor saw it happen in front of him and fished them all out in a few minutes. Five minutes later and he wouldn't have been there.

Then there's the old fella I found floating in Lintern Channel at 2am the other week while on the way home from soaking a few lines. His boat was in the middle of the channel and looked adrift so I was going to tow it to the wharf and tie it off. Imagine my surprise to find a 70s gent on the floor with the outboard inside the boat. He'd hit an oyster lease at high speed and the motor flipped into the boat because the clamps were loose, knocking him into the edge of the front deck breaking his nose and teeth. He said he nearly capsized when he hit the timbers and only just missed getting the prop through his leg. No lifejacket but i think he may have floated OK judging by the fumes. His son and wife were not amused when I called them.

Ever done CPR Kikila and had the joy of the fluid in the patients lungs filling your own mouth as you try and get some air back into them? Have you done so on a child with the parents distraught and desperate as they look on begging and screaming at you?

I have.

Frankly I couldn't give a hoot about "control" issues because I don't want to live through these things again or have anybody else do so either. Call me selfish or a control freak, I don't care.

Oh... Wear a #####!!!! hat so my tax dollars don't have to pay for treating your ignorance.

[Catchin Jack]

Very well said Testlab.

[bharris]

The mandatory waring of PFD’s is not about saving lives or revenue raising, just another little form of control, another small law so the noose tightens’ the power that be want a compliant population’ just do as your told. Children at school are trained to do as the authorities tell them like no hat no play! How long before every one will have to wear a hat when outside? For our own good of course

Here's a little game Kikila... It's called "Hide and Seek" here's how you play it.

1. Get a 3m tinny and old 5HP outboard

2. Launch at DeRubbins three quarters of the way through a 1.9m flood tide

3. Fill the tinny with one adult (you) and 4 children under 12 along with assorted gear

4. For extra challenge, you're old, unfit and can't swim properly and you won't wear a PFD

5. Attempt to drive tinny alongside the Hawkesbury road bridge pylons through the tidal eddy

6. Capsize tinny

Now, while you hold onto to the capsized tinny for dear life the kids have a chance to hide.

Next you start counting, minutes that is, waiting for someone to pass by and see you.

The seeking part is done by the Water Police, Marine Rescue and other boaters who all swarm to help you as soon as the alarm is raised. Now where are those pesky kids hiding? Where do we seek them? Do we use binoculars and thermal cameras to see if they've floated upstream or do we use fish finders and divers?

Oh, you get bonus points for surviving early spring water temps for longer than, say 60 mins depending on your age and condition and how long until hypothermia takes hold. And.... There's a bonus multiplier for doing it at night.

Seriously... 1 to 6 above happened last month around 0900 on a weekday. Fortunately a passing river contractor saw it happen in front of him and fished them all out in a few minutes. Five minutes later and he wouldn't have been there.

Then there's the old fella I found floating in Lintern Channel at 2am the other week while on the way home from soaking a few lines. His boat was in the middle of the channel and looked adrift so I was going to tow it to the wharf and tie it off. Imagine my surprise to find a 70s gent on the floor with the outboard inside the boat. He'd hit an oyster lease at high speed and the motor flipped into the boat because the clamps were loose, knocking him into the edge of the front deck breaking his nose and teeth. He said he nearly capsized when he hit the timbers and only just missed getting the prop through his leg. No lifejacket but i think he may have floated OK judging by the fumes. His son and wife were not amused when I called them.

Ever done CPR Kikila and had the joy of the fluid in the patients lungs filling your own mouth as you try and get some air back into them? Have you done so on a child with the parents distraught and desperate as they look on begging and screaming at you?

I have.

Frankly I couldn't give a hoot about "control" issues because I don't want to live through these things again or have anybody else do so either. Call me selfish or a control freak, I don't care.

Oh... Wear a #####!!!! hat so my tax dollars don't have to pay for treating your ignorance.

Very very well said safety first

Sent from my GT-S7500T using Tapatalk 2

[broke another]

I make the grandkids wear their lifejackets whenever they are out of the cabin and my boat is12.5 m they have done this since they were 2 , they weren't allowed on any younger because I could not find life jackets small enough . they don't even have to be told now just automatic so early education is the answer.

[wayneh07]

Having lost my friend/neighbour to drowning in a rock fishing accident last Sunday, I'm more than all for these laws and I hope they do make it mandatory for rock fishers to wear a lifejacket. AND police and enforce it.

A fatality may have just been a nasty accident if he'd been made to wear a jacket.

[Vendee]

Most of the fishermen I see tend to use their commonsense when fishing. If the swell looks bad or the location is bad, they come appropriately attired. DPI officers cant be everywhere and the only way a police would end up fining anyone would be post an incident. I've seen neither at my spots and I don't think they even visit such places.

I've seen more tourists and kids jumping all over. Some even high. More people hit the beach at unmarked locations and take more risks and ultimately get in to more trouble. I don't really see how making it mandatory to wear a pfd when fishing would work. Heck I know this guy who fishes without a licence.

I think the key to this is more information distributed. If you see some one, doesn't matter if they cant speak English but try and get them to understand the need for safety

That said I saw this chap fishing on the rocks with me wearing thongs and the swells were bad last weekend. I should have mentioned that this was not safe but somehow was hesistant.

We can educate and the authorities can do their best but as adults we need to make our own decisons. Just about everyone has access to the internet and is aware of these issues

[big Neil]

It's about risk management really. We all know that rock fishing and boating in heavy conditions are more risky, so wearing a pfd could save your life...terrible way to die, and possibly avoidable.

[Guest no one]

Is this seriously a thread???

PFDs getting in the way when jigging?

What the hell? I never go out without mine on... Some people... man, I seriously cannot believe this is a thread! Yeah Maritime put these laws in just to piss you guys off? - get real! Safety fiest!