Bruce makes some excellent points in the above post. A relative newcomer to TCT, I, too, do not know all of its history and traditions and how or whether some of those traditions may have slowly changed or disappeared over time. I can speak to the two strongest traditions of a previous club to which I belonged, the Canoe Cruisers Association of Washington, DC, and those were safety and education. I mention this here because of our discussion within the club on the merits of PFD use at all times while in our boats. And by recounting this, perhaps everyone will understand why I've been very surprised and concerned that PFDs are not used by everyone at all times on our trips.
CCA was extremely fortunate to have a number of certified (by the American Red Cross in my early years and later by the American Canoe Association) canoe/kayak and swift water rescue instructors. The club sponsored one evening/two-day classes throughout the summer for flatwater paddling, whitewater paddling (separate classes for canoes and kayaks), and swift water rescue. I took them all. Yes, even the whitewater kayak class, Bob!
Besides learning paddling skills, paddling safety was an overriding message imparted by the instructors in all the classes.
Members new to paddling were very strongly urged to take these classes before going on club trips. If they didn't know a certain paddler who called to sign up for club trips, trip leaders would quiz them on their experience and equipment. If, in the trip leaders judgment, someone wasn't sufficiently skilled or equipped, the trip leader would suggest that the would-be trip participant not jeopardize anyone's safety (theirs or other's who might have to help them) and try the run once he was more prepared.
The club also held introductory sessions on the C&O Canal every Tuesday and Thursday evening during the summer to give newcomers a taste of paddling by teaching them basic strokes. The five-minute introductory spiel mentioned three inviolate rules of river safety?1. Wear your PFD (and wear it correctly) at all times on the water; 2. Never approach a dam of any size from upstream or downstream; 3. Never put on when a river is in flood (water flowing through the trees along the banks).
Between these introductory lessons and the more rigorous weekend classes, hundreds and hundreds of individuals received the benefit of instruction and safety messages from highly skilled paddlers with years and years of paddling experience. Over time, the ongoing and relentless emphasis on safety created and spread a culture of safety first in which wearing a PFD was assumed and as expected throughout the growing number of paddlers throughout the region.
I might add that one of the main reasons the club was so dogged in its emphasis on safety was that, at the time, an average of seven persons drowned per year in the Potomac River between Great Falls and DC, about 15 miles down river. Most of these were fishermen or rock hoppers who fell in and were swept away in the current. I don't know for a fact, but shore fishermen and rock hoppers, it's safe to say, they were not wearing PFDs. Nor were they expecting to fall into the water. The paddling clubs wanted to make sure that none of their members became one of these statistics, nor did they want their access to the river restricted by authorities who were concerned for public safety.
I am not suggesting at all that TCT embark on a program of formal canoe and kayak instruction. I do believe however, that after being able to swim and feel comfortable in the water, wearing a PFD is the most basic of safety precautions and that the club should treat it that way. Yes, there are any number of other safety measures?wetsuits/drysuits, whistles, floatation bags, throw bags, painters, never paddling alone, etc... that anyone could argue should also be followed at all times before dipping a paddle in the water. (And yes, I've broken some of those rules.)
The argument that suggests wearing a PFD should be up to the individual is often heard, but what about the other individuals on a club trip who might find themselves in jeopardy trying to help someone who is in trouble because he didn't wear his PFD? Isn't there a communal safety responsibility for everyone on a club trip? And what of trip leaders who insist that PFDs be worn by everyone at all times? Who will the club support, the trip leader or the individual who chooses not to wear a PFD? And what good does a PFD do secured to a boat and not worn by a paddler? Other than preventing a fine, why bother? And why would those of us do not work in this arena challenge the wisdom and recommendations of water safety professionals who work with these issues day in and day out, when it comes to this issue?
Have I gone on longer than Bruce yet???
Have I ticked everyone off?
I've offered this because I wanted to continue to stimulate thought on this important safety matter. But unless someone asks me a question directly, this is the last of my input on this matter. I know that many recoil at the notion of being required to do anything...it's just human nature...but I hope this provides some perspective on why I feel strongly about it and some additional food for thought.
Be safe, have fun, and see you on the river.
Respectfully,
JP