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-   -   Wear your VEST! (http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=801593)

andy_nintzel 04-01-2014 6:46 AM

Wear your VEST!
 
Here's a video of Greg Nelson discussing the tragic passing of Cory Kraut. I am sure that 50% of those of you reading this don't know who Greg Nelson is and 80% don't know who Cory Kraut. None-the-less, we have him to thank off axis spinning. This is a very touching video-

http://www.wakeworld.com/news/videos...eg-nelson.html

Wear your vest.

phathom 04-01-2014 9:18 AM

This is so true. I remember growing up my dad drilling this into all of us kids and anyone we brought on the boat, kids or adults.
It was basically a, "I am not going to have the conversation with your parents, wife, brother, etc. that you were stupid and stubborn to wear a life jacket and that you've drowned and/or gone missing because of it. I am not going to have that on my conscience. You don't wear one, you don't ride (or get in the water for the kids)"

My kids and friends will be getting the exact same lecture.

Where your life jackets, live to ride another day. Even a comp vest nowadays provides enough flotation that they can find you and get you to safety in a reasonable time.

bcrider 04-01-2014 9:27 AM

I will admit in the early/mid 90's I was that kid for a while and it was probably due to the fact of watching the pro level guys riding sans life jacket. I think about it now and realize how stupid it was especially with some of the falls I have taken. Even a comp vest at 225lbs doesn't do much to keep you above water.

paulharenberg 04-01-2014 9:41 AM

A comp vest does not do anything at all to keep you above the water.

CHern5972 04-01-2014 10:23 AM

I remember this story to the T. I knew a guy that knew cory, so this story hit home real fast. We used to ride our rivers around here and thinking awww im riding without it. Now i make sure to have everyone wear a PFD. Sad story for a kid with Skills.

501s 04-01-2014 10:26 AM

Up to this point, I have never had a rider want to ride without a life jacket.

I think it's almost always either a pro or wanna be pro thinking they are too cool for a jacket. I will never buy the "it hinders my performance" argument. Guys do it just to look cool. Why die just to look cool to a few people while the rest of us think you're a dork. Wear your vest.

slowwwflowww 04-01-2014 11:25 AM

So damn sad so damn true!!Wear it!!!It saved my life I told this story on here of how I was getting pulled under boat from being too close and currents.

phathom 04-01-2014 11:35 AM

Let me rephrase my previous post, "Even a comp vest nowadays provides enough flotation that they can find you and get you to safety in a reasonable time."

to

A comp vest is better than nothing. It will help you not sink as fast, not make you not sink. Still a better option than wearing nothing. They obviously aren't USCG approved for a reason. Personally, I wouldn't wear one and will only wear a life jacket.

andy_nintzel 04-01-2014 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bcrider (Post 1871196)
I will admit in the early/mid 90's I was that kid for a while and it was probably due to the fact of watching the pro level guys riding sans life jacket. I think about it now and realize how stupid it was especially with some of the falls I have taken. Even a comp vest at 225lbs doesn't do much to keep you above water.

I was totally that kid, I never wore a vest, I didn't think I needed to, the pros didn't, I wanted to be a pro and if that's what they did that's what I needed to do. I completely remember telling my folks that it limits my range of motion and slows my progression. My folks would always make me wear it, as soon as they would go up to the house, I would take it off. Just Dumb.

skiboarder 04-01-2014 11:52 AM

Some comp vests work others are a joke. If you go the comp vest route (I do), be careful in your selection. If it seems to thin and too light in the shop to be true, it probably is...

Over a long enough time scale you will have a story that ends, "I'm glad I had my vest on." If you never have, you will if you do it long enough. Wear a vest that floats.

smylie 04-01-2014 12:02 PM

Here is a test to check to see how well your comp vest floats you. Float in the water with your feet beneath you and start to blow out the air that is in your lungs. Watch how quickly you start to sink. It is crazy how quickly you sink. If you lose your board and are knocked out and inhale water you will go down pretty quick.

nuckledragger 04-01-2014 6:44 PM

Not wearing a vest is equal to not wearing a seatbelt in the car.

markj 04-01-2014 10:35 PM

I had a close scare once with a comp vest. Got the wind knocked out of me after landing hard and that vest was worthless. It was a name brand too. Never again... I threw it away and bought an approved one. The only thing comp vests MAY be good for is recovering your body if that.

04-02-2014 12:04 AM

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chrislandy 04-02-2014 2:41 AM

I must admit I've been riding since the early 90's and hardly every wore a vest until 2004ish but I was a crossover from trick skiing and we never wore them for that either. It was only when the "impact" vests started to become available that I bought one - and that was all it was, an impact vest and I even fractured a rib using that once too... got a propper one now. I've had a few "I wonder when I'll come up" moments though, even with the CG approved vests so gawd knows how long I would have been down for if I hadn't been wearing it!

whiteflashwatersports1 04-02-2014 12:13 PM

It makes me sick when I see people without a USCG approved vest on - just crazy. When we go in the intracoastal vs. the lake we don,t even let people take swim breaks without them - the current is way to strong.

skiboarder 04-02-2014 2:58 PM

All Coast Guard vests float. Comp vest exist on a continuum. I only wear comp vests and I only wear vests that float. I have enough experience to know what works and what does not.

markj 04-02-2014 11:55 PM

Comp vests are nothing but false security for morons and riders who aren't good enough to do their moves with an approved vest. I should know since I was one of those morons 15 years ago. My reason for buying a non approved vest at the time was because it was cheaper. Can't believe I risked my life to save $50.

skiboarder 04-03-2014 6:12 AM

There are plenty of good/safe non-approved vests out there. The oneil Outlaw or the Ronix Adam E vest for example. It is about common sense and balance. My Adam E pullover has plenty of floatation for 100% wakeboard situations for me. I'm only posting because not all comp vests are death traps. Only a few are, but when you wonder into that territory you are taking a risk.

SurfAK83 04-09-2014 2:15 AM

Had a buddy of mine two years ago drown cause he wasnt wearing a vest. He took off at night on a waverunner from a party at a lake cabin without a vest pissed off and drunk. Found the waverunner beached across the lake the next day. It took two weeks of dredging and searching the lake to find his body. Fell off and the ski got away from him. Doesnt matter how strong a swimmer you are.

andy_nintzel 04-10-2014 6:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SurfAK83 (Post 1872096)
Had a buddy of mine two years ago drown cause he wasnt wearing a vest. He took off at night on a waverunner from a party at a lake cabin without a vest pissed off and drunk. Found the waverunner beached across the lake the next day. It took two weeks of dredging and searching the lake to find his body. Fell off and the ski got away from him. Doesnt matter how strong a swimmer you are.

Super sorry to hear that man!

gene3x 04-21-2014 2:26 PM

Even some CGA Vests don't float my big ass! Especially if they are waterlogged over time. They tend to lose some floatation over years of use.


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