Surfing with pdf's/ life vests?

Question

how come no one ever uses life vests like the aids while surfing? i know obviousely makes it harder to duck dive a wave but the board makes is hard anyway isnt that just a stupied excuse or an yeah you look like a nerd but h**l is 9deg C and im in a 6/5/4 suit and it freezing and i have a hood up and look like a nerd anyway so wats the deal with them wont it also stop the hold downs and provide impact protection. dose the benifits of floating while unconciose out way the floating while going under a wave........

Answer 1

In most cases surfers are not that at risk of drowing.  They tend to be good swimmers, in good shape and have good ocean knowldege.

However, tow surfers wear pfds.  When its triple overhead + and you're getting whipped in by ski you can use all the help you can get if you eat it.

Answer 2

umm a surf board is a flotation device and surfers take risks being out there plus ur wetsuit will keep u floating too but if u wanna wear a wetsuit and surf u will prolly be the only surfer in th world to wear a life jacket besides lil kids that just learning

Answer 3

I don't know anything about this subject first-hand, but judging from your picture, I have to say I don't think you could ever look like a nerd! :)  Niiice

Answer 4

Life vests are used in tow-in surfing like what Laird Hamilton does.

They are critical in the waves they surf. The sheer force and power of the lip crashing can push them down at *least* 25 ft sometimes. Since there is no way a surfer can swim to the surface in time before the break of the next wave, the jacket helps propel them upwards.

The state of being unconscious can happen from hitting your head on a reef or from getting pounded and not getting a chance to get enough air between hold downs. The average surfer is not in those conditions.

Most professional surfers - namely those on the ASP and WQS World Tours - do not wear them. The jackets are not usually needed for tour stops since many of the waves break over very shallow reefs. Besides, for pro-surfers, the *board and leash* are your life vest when you go down and need to come back up.

Still, out of competition, like at Mavericks in Cali, many pro surfers don't even like being teathered to their board and cite all kinds of issues. Non-professional surfers are different, and since we don't surf 10-12 months out of the year in dangerous conditions, safety should be an even larger priority for us.

You can be dead or you can look silly. It's your choice. I've seen guys surf with helmets on and don't judge them.