Crotch Straps and Life Jacket Lights

[Doug Stormforce]

Originally Posted by SPR

I would strongly suggest anybody to take the 1 day Sea Survival Course, its very informative, you get a chance to experience wearing your life jacket in a controlled environment.

To be honest it would be a good Team building Exercise for the RIBnet members to do. I organised one via SeaSkills for the sailing club and it was great exhausting work.

Is there demand for this in the South? If so I would be happy to run a discounted group course for ribnet members. Would need one member to organise the group (like Knot Yet's organising EPIRB purchase)

[Channel Ribs]

Originally Posted by Doug Stormforce

Is there demand for this in the South? If so I would be happy to run a discounted group course for ribnet members. Would need one member to organise the group (like Knot Yet's organising EPIRB purchase)

Nice one Doug

I would DEFINITELY be up for this and prepared to do the organising if it suits all concerned.

We have been trying to herd cats on the island and get everyone who is interested or has a need in doing the Sea Survival for six months now and this would give them the impetus to get organised.

I really really want to done one and have two people in the company who also need to, that makes it:

Alderney Marine x3

If you can confirm a price please Doug, I will get straight onto the locals.

[Doug Stormforce]

Will start a new thread for this

http://rib.net/forum/showthread.php?t=33600

[SPR]

If the Scottish/Northern people looking to do a Sea Survival Course either Edinburgh or Glasgow, then let me know and I will see what Ian @ Seaskills can offer.

Need about 16 people if I remember right to be viable.

S.

[Puffin]

I'd be up for a Northern one depending on dates. Would need to be at a weekend for me.

[CJL]

Originally Posted by SPR

A Spay Hood is essential too if your going to be in the water for any length of time, since when you adopt the HELP postion, ( Cross Legs and bent knees) your body will actually turn towards the waves, and this can be uncomfortable at the least or causes drowning/secondary drowning. Spray hood protects you airways and helps to prevent this.

A life jacket light is essential if you plan to go out in the night or in dusk, if your go over board at night you will find it very hard to be seen without one!

Gotta agree on the spray hood point. I did a swift water rescue course and the instructor said we must have spray hoods as secondary drowning is a very real risk.

Likewise the light is essential if you ever go out in the dusk/dark.

For an exercise get a mate out on their boat;
1) drive to two separate locations about a mile and half apart with a bit of tide on during the night,
2) throw an old fender over the side,
3) mark the location using your GPS,
4) use your VHF to exchange the locations with your mate,
5) then go and find your mates fender and vice versa.

Try and find your mates fender with a light and then try and find it without a light. (Make sure you do it in this order!)

You will shortly find yourself in a chandlery in the lifejacket light department!!

Not as sure on the crotch strap point as the lifejacket won't ride up if fitted correctly and arms crossed.

CJL

[SeaSkills]

Originally Posted by CJL

Gotta agree on the spray hood point. I did a swift water rescue course and the instructor said we must have spray hoods as secondary drowning is a very real risk.

I agree with you, and I'll add a couple of points. Secondary drowning is a risk, but primarily a spray hood will help with the immediate drowning risk. As SPR says in his original post the action of wind and waves turns a person with a lifejacket in the water so that he is facing the waves - not the best position to be in. Your body has an instinctive protective mechanism to keep water out of your lungs, and it doesn't take very much water going down "the wrong way" to persuade the airway to go into spasm to stop more water getting in .... and you suffocate as your body's way of protecting you!

Originally Posted by CJL

Likewise the light is essential if you ever go out in the dusk/dark.

For an exercise get a mate out on their boat;
1) drive to two separate locations about a mile and half apart with a bit of tide on during the night,
2) throw an old fender over the side,
3) mark the location using your GPS,
4) use your VHF to exchange the locations with your mate,
5) then go and find your mates fender and vice versa.

Try and find your mates fender with a light and then try and find it without a light. (Make sure you do it in this order!)

You will shortly find yourself in a chandlery in the lifejacket light department!!

This is an exercise we used to do with lifeboat crews, and really is an eye opener. When you do eventually decide to buy a lifejacket light, remember that a flashing light will be easier to spot than a permanently on light

Originally Posted by CJL

Not as sure on the crotch strap point as the lifejacket won't ride up if fitted correctly and arms crossed.

Don't agree with you here, I'm afraid. Fitting the jacket properly will help of course, but all our experience is that even properly fitted jackets do have a tendency to ride up and need to be held down. After even a short time in cold water you'll wish you had a crotch strap doing the job for you

[Poly]

Originally Posted by CJL

For an exercise get a mate out on their boat;
1) drive to two separate locations about a mile and half apart with a bit of tide on during the night,
2) throw an old fender over the side,
3) mark the location using your GPS,
4) use your VHF to exchange the locations with your mate,
5) then go and find your mates fender and vice versa.

Try and find your mates fender with a light and then try and find it without a light. (Make sure you do it in this order!)

Can I suggest if doing this that you make a call to the CG to let them know (assuming you are within sight of land). Lifeboats seem to get launched to investigate 'myseterious lights' in the water fairly often.

And for the record - I wasn't suggesting crotch straps weren't a good idea/essential - but just that I didn't expect them to take any real load (although as Jimbo says - better if they could as a 'fall back / fail safe').

[gibbo500]

Any recommendations on spray hoods and lights to buy?......more money about to leave the wallet

[SPR]

Spray Hoods are Lifejacket dependant, you can either get a pocket spray hood that you remove from a secondary pocket after lifejacket inflation.

Or you you can get a Spray hood that fits to toggles at back of lifejacket and stored inside. (my preference)

Alternative, you buy a lifejacket with one factory fitted.

I believe most Baltic life jackets can be retro- fitted.

Lights - I love the the Aqua-Spec AQ98, water activated, very small and as used by MOD.

S.

[CJL]

Consider getting a strobe instead of a normal bulb.

Much better than a blinking bulb.

It's interesting that nobody has really mentioned the benefits of having a h/h vhf on them though. A few MIAB reports have recommended them after ejections.

CJL

[Poly]

Originally Posted by CJL

It's interesting that nobody has really mentioned the benefits of having a h/h vhf on them though. A few MIAB reports have recommended them after ejections.

I think it was mentioned in the original ejection thread though.

[Channel Ribs]

Originally Posted by Polwart

I think it was mentioned in the original ejection thread though.

There is also the PLB thread where the priorities of various personal safety gear have been mentioned, H/H VHF being among them.

On a trip a while ago I asked another boat if they all had VHFs on their person, "no we only have the one" was the reply, so I gave them one of my spares; it got put in the console with the first one.

[Channel Ribs]

Originally Posted by SPR

I believe most Baltic life jackets can be retro- fitted.

Lights - I love the the Aqua-Spec AQ98, water activated, very small and as used by MOD.

Baltic do indeed do a very good hood that can be fitted to just about any l/j.

[fred bolton]

Originally Posted by jwalker

If you're male, I recommend two crotch straps fastening each off centre for obvious reasons.

Edit: Come to think of it, I recommend the same even if you're not male.

So a bit like save the meat but sod the veg