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Subject: Re: TWL: Re: Re: PFD's for children - required
From: Bob Austin (thataway4@XXX.XXX)
Date: Fri Mar 01 2002 - 22:21:41 EST
I was taught to swim and water survival at a very early age, I taught my
children and now my grandchild is being taught. My children wore life
jackets aboard until about age 10--including requirement when racing
dinghies. My grand child has a life jacket on from the time we get on the
dock until we are back on land. I am not sure that I agree with the age
requirement--and feel that teaching swimming and water survival is as
important as a life jacket. However not all parents/grandparents take the
time to teach these skills. I fell overboard at the dock several times--my
survival did not depend on a life jacket. I fell overboard at sea--no life
jacket at age 10--I had skills to tread water and float until my father
brought the boat back to pick me up.
If a child is taught to wear a personal flotation device that is made to fit
him/her it is much more acceptable than one of orange type I devices. I
carry these for the requirement, but if a child is aboard, I have invested
in various sizes of wearable PFD and found that they are much more likely to
wear them all of the time.
Bob Austin
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