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Can you really swim that far. Are you real sure???


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2 minutes ago, Harps said:

With the convenience of modern inflatable PFDs, there's no reason not to wear one IMO. I wear it on the lake or floating. Only time I don't wear it on the water is if I'm wading.

I get some chit from my buddies for always wearing one, but I don't care. Once I have it on, I forget about it. Once I walked into a restaurant on the way home from the lake and still had it on. Chick behind the counter asked what it was before I realized it was still on.

I'm with you...

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I have never been much of a swimmer. I think I'm one of the few that are not naturally buoyant. I'm 5'8" and 250lbs, with only 15-20lbs of fat. I can swim for a little ways, but usually end up on the bottom. 

An inflatable vest was a lifesaver for me. Fits easily over my jacket in the winter, and is not terribly uncomfortable in the summer. West Marine usually has them on sale now and then. 

-Austin

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1 hour ago, Harps said:

With the convenience of modern inflatable PFDs, there's no reason not to wear one IMO. I wear it on the lake or floating. Only time I don't wear it on the water is if I'm wading.

I get some chit from my buddies for always wearing one, but I don't care. Once I have it on, I forget about it. Once I walked into a restaurant on the way home from the lake and still had it on. Chick behind the counter asked what it was before I realized it was still on.

I always wear mine on the water, but haven't walked into a restaurant with one on (yet).  Reminded me of this scene from Back to the Future:

 

btfpreserver.gif

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1 hour ago, Harps said:

With the convenience of modern inflatable PFDs, there's no reason not to wear one IMO. I wear it on the lake or floating. Only time I don't wear it on the water is if I'm wading.

I get some chit from my buddies for always wearing one, but I don't care. Once I have it on, I forget about it. Once I walked into a restaurant on the way home from the lake and still had it on. Chick behind the counter asked what it was before I realized it was still on.

            That's it heard enough,

   As far as effetely swimming I cannot anymore. With the shot left shoulder it is funny the way I try to swim. Cannot raise the arm above the head now. I can still tread and dog paddle.  Going to bite the bullet and get both of us an inflatable. 

     Going to share a story. Many moons ago when I had my very first boat. Tracker panfish special. Twenty to thirty years back. Pat and I were on Truman up close to the dam area. Busy weekend hot and humid. We had fished the morning and decided to anchor swim to shore and mess around on an island. So being in the deeper part of the lake those islands are hill tops. The tip top of those hills. Can you say steep banks? Well had a strong south wind. Wind catches boat, anchor slips off edge and boat begins to float away. I was in great shape back then. We looked at each other trying to decide if I should swim out to get it? I thought surely someone would see it and investigate. No boat after boat went by. We would wave and they would wave back :) . Boat getting further I decided to swim. I was not gaining ground and getting very, very tired. Enough I was getting scared, scared bad. Looked back to shore and Pat then at the boat said a prayer and worked my way slowly towards the boat. Got to it and so tired I could not lift myself into it. I hung on and Pat and the island were nothing but a dot. After resting got a leg in and rested more. Finally in boat started and back to Pat. I was shaking so hard. Got her in and went back to ramp. I could hardly get out of boat I was so sore, every muscle hurt. Loaded out and went home. We talked very little just held hands on trip back. We have good jackets and use them if we think they are needed. The inflatable would be the thing to have. I cringe thinking back on this,

  BilletHead

"We have met the enemy and it is us",

Pogo

   If you compete with your fellow anglers, you become their competitor, If you help them you become their friend"

Lefty Kreh

    " Never display your knowledge, you only share it"

Lefty Kreh

         "Eat more bass and there will be more room for walleye to grow!"

BilletHead

    " One thing in life is for sure. If you are careful you can straddle the barbed wire fence but make one mistake and you will be hurting"

BilletHead

  P.S. "May your fences be short or hope you have long legs"

BilletHead

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And BH, we are glad you are still here with us.

I think at least 50% of the drownings on Beaver lake I hear of on the news or read about, are young people that either swim from the shore or jump in off a boat.  Hard to know what exactly happens to them because if someone sees them when they drown, the story is they saw them struggling, then they went under and never came up.  Sad deal when it happens.

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Distance on the water is very deceiving too.  It's a lot farther than you think. 

A couple years ago I was with some friends on LOZ and we had their pontoon tied up to one of the "permanent" logs along the bluff about 1/4 mi down from the Gravois Mills access.  I had to take a dump and didn't feel like climbing up the bank since it's pretty steep where we were.  We had a jet ski out with us that day but one of my friends was out riding it a couple miles down lake so I thought what the hell, it doesn't look that far to swim up to the ramp and go to the bathroom there.  Grabbed a life vest and got about 2/3s of the way to the ramp and started getting really worn out. Current was pretty strong that day and was dragging me back down lake towards the pontoon every time I would stop.  Finally I got to the fishing dock there, did my deed and started to head back.  Glad my friend had the jet ski back by then and came and got me.  Not sure if I would have made it back to the boat anytime soon.  I guess the current would have eventually pushed me back there if I just floated.

-- Jim

If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles. -- Doug Larson

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24 minutes ago, Quillback said:

And BH, we are glad you are still here with us.

I think at least 50% of the drownings on Beaver lake I hear of on the news or read about, are young people that either swim from the shore or jump in off a boat.  Hard to know what exactly happens to them because if someone sees them when they drown, the story is they saw them struggling, then they went under and never came up.  Sad deal when it happens.

 

20 minutes ago, MOPanfisher said:

Glad you made it back BH, have had to write reports on some who didn't make it back.  

            Thanks guys,

  Pat and I have been in on a recovery below the low head dam at Caplinger Mills. We were in the same boat BTW. I posted that deal before on here but we forget what we read after awhile. It started as a rescue but became a recovery. Pat and I were the only ones that tried. The only other boat said they did not want to be involved. We pulled the lifeless body into the boat. A big boy. Still do know how how we did it. Got him to shore and on bank where I started CPR. When first responders arrived they hooked him up to the defibulater.  It would not let them go any further. Corner arrived and pronounced him deceased. By far I think this is the worst thing we have done in life so far. If we all make better choices maybe we can prevent someone from doing this to all of us reading this. 

  BilletHead

"We have met the enemy and it is us",

Pogo

   If you compete with your fellow anglers, you become their competitor, If you help them you become their friend"

Lefty Kreh

    " Never display your knowledge, you only share it"

Lefty Kreh

         "Eat more bass and there will be more room for walleye to grow!"

BilletHead

    " One thing in life is for sure. If you are careful you can straddle the barbed wire fence but make one mistake and you will be hurting"

BilletHead

  P.S. "May your fences be short or hope you have long legs"

BilletHead

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