Not wearing vests!
I recently went riding with an unnamed rider, he was getting ready to ride, put on his 3 mill wetsuit, and I asked, "where's your vest?" He replied, "My wetsuit floats me real good." Me being a little intimidated being on his boat didn't put up any more argument. Now I know that wetsuits don't provide floatation if you were to get knocked out and lost all the air in your lungs. You would sink like a rock. Luckily he threw down and nothing happened.
That got me thinking about the last time I remember hearing about someone dying from not wearing a vest. It was Corey Kraut, in June of 2000. Google Corey Kraut and you'll find he was a Double Up team rider, who kind of grandfathered "corked," then called monkey spins to everyday wake riding. He died at age 22. Wakeboard Magazine then said, "We will never again show a rider not wearing a vest," Most videos started always having riders wearing vests. Now unfortunately they have gone away from that after 8 short years. I'm a very disappointed in not only Wakeboard Mag, but other film producers and directors for showing riders not wearing vests.
Wakeboard magazine now has a warning, "Always wear a floatation device when wakeboarding," whenever they show someone not wearing a vest. I watched some parts of Push Process on Fuel Tv today and one of the riders was doing a massive double up 7 without a vest.
Yes there are more shots with vests which is good, but it's not like it's hard or restrictive with todays life jacket technology to put on some sort of floatation even if it's non coast guard approved. My Jet Pilot Shane pro model vest floats me back up to the surface if I let all my breath out, so at least the boat could get back to me if something happened, and I have never felt restricted movement while wearing it. So if you finished reading this just think of it as a reminder to wear your floatation devices, it's been 8 years since I can remember the last death. We don't need another death to be the reason everybody starts wearing vests and magazines start only showing ads or shots with one again.
That got me thinking about the last time I remember hearing about someone dying from not wearing a vest. It was Corey Kraut, in June of 2000. Google Corey Kraut and you'll find he was a Double Up team rider, who kind of grandfathered "corked," then called monkey spins to everyday wake riding. He died at age 22. Wakeboard Magazine then said, "We will never again show a rider not wearing a vest," Most videos started always having riders wearing vests. Now unfortunately they have gone away from that after 8 short years. I'm a very disappointed in not only Wakeboard Mag, but other film producers and directors for showing riders not wearing vests.
Wakeboard magazine now has a warning, "Always wear a floatation device when wakeboarding," whenever they show someone not wearing a vest. I watched some parts of Push Process on Fuel Tv today and one of the riders was doing a massive double up 7 without a vest.
Yes there are more shots with vests which is good, but it's not like it's hard or restrictive with todays life jacket technology to put on some sort of floatation even if it's non coast guard approved. My Jet Pilot Shane pro model vest floats me back up to the surface if I let all my breath out, so at least the boat could get back to me if something happened, and I have never felt restricted movement while wearing it. So if you finished reading this just think of it as a reminder to wear your floatation devices, it's been 8 years since I can remember the last death. We don't need another death to be the reason everybody starts wearing vests and magazines start only showing ads or shots with one again.
Tags: floatation, vests
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Murtopia on -
Great point! I thought I remember WBM saying they were not going to show those shots anymore, but when I started seeing them again I figured that I must have remembered wrong. There are a ton of kids out there that look up to those pros as examples, we need to keep that in mind too.
I like the non CGA vests too, there is decent float - just not enough to put you on your back if you are knocked out right?
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Permalink Reply by -Kat- on
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I wear a non-CGA vest most of the time (regular is too bulky!). Last summer when I split the back of my head open (scorpion move with board striking me) the first thing I was doing was holding my head (because it hurt!) with one hand, taking my board off with the other. Had I been knocked out (everyone was surprised I wasn't, but I'm double tuff) it would have floated me no problem.
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Permalink Reply by JJakober on
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BOO on the non-cga vests!!! If your CGA vest is to bulky or restrictive, you need to buy one that isn't! Trust me, they are out there.
But I will say, non-cga is better then no jacket at all.
As far as putting you on your back when knocked out, only a Type 1 CGA vest will turn most people face up. The CGA vests most of us ride are Type 3 and all they will do is keep you from sinking.
Info to link: http://www.ahoycaptain.com/shop/types_of_life_jackets.html
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Permalink Reply by Taylor Murto on -
"If your CGA vest is to bulky or restrictive, you need to buy one that isn't! Trust me, they are out there."-JJakober
I have a CGA vest and its not bulky or restrictive for me. Not that i do anything big either. It's a LF Cinch or something
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Permalink Reply by Dan Duer on -
How come you wear a pink vest though? That is like wearing a shorty with no shorts over the top.
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Permalink Reply by 3f2matt on -
I agree to the general tone of the life vest discussion; however, I may be alone in saying I enjoy seeing riders at the top level ripping without one. I also understand that they are professionals and not the norm. You won't catch me without one and if you catch a ride with me you better plan on wearing one.
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Permalink Reply by Tom Dormaier on -
I would think not wearing a life vest would be like not wearing a helmet for motocross.
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Permalink Reply by Taylor Murto on
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It is cool to see the pros w/o vests. Especially Chad Sharpe's double indy backroll...
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Permalink Reply by Tom Dormaier on
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I believe Cory Kraut died doing a 180. It was a while ago I could be mistaken.
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Permalink Reply by Taylor Murto on
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Ur saying the non-cga vests have more padding during crashes than a cga vest? I might be wrong but i would think the more floatable cga vest would have more padding and take the crashes softer.
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