Life vest and Kill switch will save your life.

[spindog]

With spring and a new boating season just around the corner we must remember to be safe.
Most of us have seen this boat accident, it shows what can happen in a split second at high speed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UEETjztLqI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[dave g]

you make an excellent point about checking out your safety equipment and procedures for the new boating season. things do tend to happen when you least expect it. HOWEVER... common sense is something you should be using on a daily basis, every day. while that video does illustrate that the equipment can save your life, being unsafe or negligent will put you in a position for something like that to happen. that was no 'wave out of nowhere' as stated. that was bad judgement. knowing your boat and your own capibilties are key to safe boating. don't get me wrong. i like getting out and cranking it on in my boat as much as the next guy, but i do it under good water/sea conditions and when the is no traffic. good common sense is probably the best bit of safety equipment out there...

[A9]

It's more of a common sense reminder than anything.

Watch starting at about 1 minute in. He's got his motor trimmed up, chine walking that boat, hardly in control, while his buddy is filming him jumping a wake to post a stunt video to youtube. He's asking for it.....

Don't be that guy this year.....

[hewesfisher]

while that video does illustrate that the equipment can save your life, being unsafe or negligent will put you in a position for something like that to happen. that was no 'wave out of nowhere' as stated. that was bad judgement.

Dave is spot on, that "driver" made a conscious decision (for whatever reason) to cross the wake at speed, it was certainly no wave out of nowhere. A life vest and a kill switch cannot always save stupid. This guy was lucky he didn't break his neck or worse.

If you tempt fate, sooner or later it will bite.

[spindog]

while that video does illustrate that the equipment can save your life, being unsafe or negligent will put you in a position for something like that to happen. that was no 'wave out of nowhere' as stated. that was bad judgement.

Dave is spot on, that "driver" made a conscious decision (for whatever reason) to cross the wake at speed, it was certainly no wave out of nowhere. A life vest and a kill switch cannot always save stupid. This guy was lucky he didn't break his neck or worse.

If you tempt fate, sooner or later it will bite.

This is called wave jumping, people do it all the time without knowing the consequences of poor decisions.
It shows how your boat can change direction in a split second.
Be it a stump, a rock or a wave, this is about using your life vest and killswitch, which I never do....I will start.
Quite easy for you or a passenger to be slammed or ejected from your vessel.
Do you use yours???

[tnj8222]

When my boat works im always using the kill switch and vest. Dumb not to. Saved gary dobyns life aswell.

[dave g]

in an honest answer to that question, usually not. i've worn my pfd on only the occassions when i thought the weather/seas warrented it. i've never ran usingh the kill switch on my boat. this is a good reminder that bad things can happen when you run at speed...even if you're not acting like a bonehead...guess it's never too late to start wearing my vest while running between the fishing holes...

[Amx]

Years ago on Potholes there was a boat coming out from between two dunes, way up ahead of me about 100 yards.

The boat was was out in front of me and there was no problems at all.

I wanted to turn into that channel. So when I did his very small wake was arriving to me. I turned and then hit the wave, which was about 3" to 6" high, with the side of the bow at an angle. At about 40 mph or so, with most of the hull of my boat in the water, not over the water on full plane for a bass boat, the wave helped turn the boat by pushing sideways on the bow, and the bow 'riding' the wave, and so I was then headed straight for the dune about 30 yards away. All I had to do was turn the wheel back to the right and all was fine, but just an example, it's not just the big waves that can upset or influence your boat.

I should have hit the wave at 90 degrees and then turned, but I had no idea at all that the small wave could do that. I'd only had the boat for a few months in '89. I still have it.

[hewesfisher]

while that video does illustrate that the equipment can save your life, being unsafe or negligent will put you in a position for something like that to happen. that was no 'wave out of nowhere' as stated. that was bad judgement.

Dave is spot on, that "driver" made a conscious decision (for whatever reason) to cross the wake at speed, it was certainly no wave out of nowhere. A life vest and a kill switch cannot always save stupid. This guy was lucky he didn't break his neck or worse.

If you tempt fate, sooner or later it will bite.

This is called wave jumping, people do it all the time without knowing the consequences of poor decisions.
It shows how your boat can change direction in a split second.
Be it a stump, a rock or a wave, this is about using your life vest and killswitch, which I never do....I will start.
Quite easy for you or a passenger to be slammed or ejected from your vessel.
Do you use yours???

Nope, neither one as a matter of fact, and I don't plan to start because I watched some idiot "wave jump" his bass boat and nearly kill himself. I never put myself in situations that can lead to what happened in that video AND I don't have a flat deck boat. With 30" sidewalls, 50" side window height, and 60" windshield height (all measured from floor to top of gunwale/window frame), it will take one hell of a wave to eject someone from my boat. I'm smart enough to know when to slow down and when to avoid, it's called common sense. The guy in the video had the opportunity to do both, chose poorly, and could have been killed for doing so. His choices won't change how I boat one bit.

[MotoBoat]

I was wondering why the comments section under the youtube video was empty. The comment section is turned off. Based on the responses here. I now understand why.

that was no 'wave out of nowhere' as stated. ...

dave, the description did not state the incident occurred due to a wave as you describe.

It states:

"We were out filming Greg in his boat when he hit the wave behind the boat at the wrong angle and too fast. Boat speed was around 70 mph. Greg's Life Vest and kill switch SAVED HIS LIFE. He was unconscious for about 10 minutes.

I don't think they are trying to candy coat the fact that bad judgement was used. But, cementing the fact that the safety equipment worked as was designed (regardless of bad judgement or safe operation). Motor turned off and vest floated the unconscious boat operator upright.

That stunt is best left for thrill seekers and adrenaline junkie. Wisely using there safety equipment and not endangering others in the process.

[spindog]

Do you use yours???

Nope, neither one as a matter of fact, and I don't plan to start because I watched some idiot "wave jump" his bass boat and nearly kill himself. I never put myself in situations that can lead to what happened in that video AND I don't have a flat deck boat. With 30" sidewalls, 50" side window height, and 60" windshield height (all measured from floor to top of gunwale/window frame), it will take one hell of a wave to eject someone from my boat. I'm smart enough to know when to slow down and when to avoid, it's called common sense. The guy in the video had the opportunity to do both, chose poorly, and could have been killed for doing so. His choices won't change how I boat one bit.

LOL

[edge540]

Anyone know of a reputable shop that can install a proper kill switch on my drift boat?

[Amx]

Where do you live? What town?

Limit Out Performance Marine is in Pacific south of Auburn;

http://www.limitoutmarine.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Amx]

Oh ya, I think it would be more like an 'automatic anchor release'. LOL

[bassplayer17]

357 or a 9mm sons of guns can install lol

[hewesfisher]

I was wondering why the comments section under the youtube video was empty. The comment section is turned off. Based on the responses here. I now understand why.

that was no 'wave out of nowhere' as stated. ...

dave, the description did not state the incident occurred due to a wave as you describe.

It states:

"We were out filming Greg in his boat when he hit the wave behind the boat at the wrong angle and too fast. Boat speed was around 70 mph. Greg's Life Vest and kill switch SAVED HIS LIFE. He was unconscious for about 10 minutes.

I don't think they are trying to candy coat the fact that bad judgement was used. But, cementing the fact that the safety equipment worked as was designed (regardless of bad judgement or safe operation). Motor turned off and vest floated the unconscious boat operator upright.

That stunt is best left for thrill seekers and adrenaline junkie. Wisely using there safety equipment and not endangering others in the process.

I wondered the same thing for about a microsecond, the reason is obvious.

Here's the complete statement posted under the video,

"We were out filming Greg in his boat when he hit the wave behind the boat at the wrong angle and too fast. Boat speed was around 70 mph. Greg's Life Vest and kill switch SAVED HIS LIFE. He was unconscious for about 10 minutes. As you can see the boat never turned over. Greg suffered a broken collarbone. I'm showing this in hopes that a lot of you Bass Boat Drivers have gotten lazy about putting your Vest on and hooking up your kill switch. All of you have hit a suprise wave from out of nowhere at speeds of 70 mph or more. Don't let this happen to you."

Poor choice #1 - Crossing wake wave at the wrong angle
Poor choice #2 - Crossing wake wave at extreme speed
Poor choice #3 - Not slowing down to maintain control after crossing the first wake wave (which he had time to do and should have)

I guess it must be a "bass boat driver" thing, I sure don't hit "surprise waves" at 70mph, and definitely not ones I can see and avoid. If you do, then by all means you better have your life vest on and be absolutely certain your kill switch is working and hope that will be enough to save your life.

[sickbayer]

on the safety gear...but what a clown trying to do something that simply is stupid.

[dave g]

thanks phil, for posting the WHOLE description of the vid. you beat me to it. moto: click the 'see more' tab above the comment section and you can read the whole thing. this isn't a thread intended to slam anyone, just peoples thoughts and opinions. as to why the comment section is closed i can only guess. this is the internet. if you put stuff out there for all the world to see, expect negative feedback as well as positive...

[tnj8222]

357 or a 9mm sons of guns can install lol

Ha I thought the same thing. A kill switch on a drift boat would be bad, since you are the motor haha

[edge540]

Thought Id see if Tom was paying attention