Kids and life vests.

[checkrdpast]

After reading the post on the Lake powell incident, i got to thinking about last weekend at Havasu. i seen 9 kids and i mean under the age of 12 easy not wear vest. Sure the parents looked clueless but i couldn't stop thinking about it.

 

[RiverDave]

you know what blows me away is people put their babies in infant life jackets and never even check to see which way they float!! Half of them will drown your kid in a heartbeat.. Try them in a pool first!

RD

 

[ltbaney1]

both of my kids have been in ISR (infant self rescue) swim lessons since they were 10 months old. my 3 year old can swim to the deep end, touch the bottom and swim back the side. float as long as he needs. 5 Y/o daughter can swim length of the pool underwater. they both know if they are on a boat or even more than walking on the beach at the river / lake they have to have a life jacket on. I see no excuse to not have them in a jacket. i have stopped my boat and had to tell my passengers their kids need to put it back on and full buckle before we move. i dont want that on my head if something happens.

 

[81Sprint]

Not only on the boat but playing on the shore. I have seen to many young kids with no vest on playing in the water and the parents were to busy partying, it only takes a second and kids don't know any better. We were life vest nazis with our kids when they were little even though they knew how to swim at a very young age.

 

[ChrisV]

My kids always have a life jacket on. It’s a big habit for them.

Also need to go get a lifeline vest for Wife and I.

 

[Moabifam5]

I'm in full agreement with Itbaney, teaching the kids to swim is just as important as getting a life preserver. We raised 3 kids at the river and all of them had swimming lessons early in life. Plus making sure they had life vests on anytime in the water was a must. RIP to the folks who lost there lives at Powell, as a Parent, I cant imagine anything worse.

 

[oldman]

I grew up on the Parker strip as a little kid. I remember going to swim lessons at the community pool as a little kid, I hated it. When we were at the river we all wore the goofy orange lifejackets that gave us all a rash.

My parents were brutal about it till we became teens. And as adults they explained about young kids drowning and how it affected them. They promised to do everything to protect us.

My brothers and Sister all survived.

Consequently as an adult we bought a place on the strip, when we had kids, it was swim lessons as soon as we could get them in a pool, and follow ups into teens. And jackets around the water and always in the boat, they screamed bloody murder at first but learned to deal with it.

Today as young adults they are very strong swimmers and confident in the river.

The open water even right next to the boat can be dangerous, and it only takes a second.

 

[JFMFG]

My kids wear a vest no matter what on the boat. If we are on the beach we have these puddle jumper floatie vest deals they wear. It’s one or the other. They do not get to not wear one while we are near the water. My kids are also in swim lessons weekly.

 

[OldSchoolBoats]

Not only on the boat but playing on the shore. I have seen to many young kids with no vest on playing in the water and the parents were to busy partying, it only takes a second and kids don't know any better. We were life vest nazis with our kids when they were little even though they knew how to swim at a very young age.

Yup, tons if spots with beaches that go gradually in, then big drop offs. Playing in the sand, walk out into the water and then suddenly head goes under.

3 Dunes is one of these places.

 

[GreenEnergy28]

My kids all wore PFD's until they were of age not to have to by law. All know how to swim, but in a panic situation shit goes out the window fast. Not knowing what way is up, high stress, possible debris in the water. You just never know.
My sister drowned at Powell when she was around 2, I think. Story I've been told was she was playing on the shoreline and fell into a hole. Before anyone noticed, she was face down and unresponsive. Dad did CPR the best he could while grandfather fired up the boat and started ripping them to the marina. Luckily for our family, she made it through. Obviously, nobody likes to talk about it, so I have never asked for details. Crazy thing is, she still boats and loves to wakeboard. You won't find her in the water without a PFD though. Even at 50 years old.