Will a life jacket work for ME?

Question

My dad wants to do some kayaking and wants to take me but i can't really swim except paddling and he says a life jacket would work but i am a little uneasy about it so can anyone help me know if this is the right thing to do! Thanks..

Answer 1

Well, go kayaking, it is so fun! You will enjoy it. And if you are unsure about it, go to your local swimming pool and ask if you have a life jacket and try it on. or just tell your dad that you don't feel like it now and ask maybe to go like in a month and take swiming lessons.

Answer 2

That's why they're called life jackets; they hold your head up, out of the water. If your father has the right size and weight jacket for you, go have fun. It's a long story, but when I was four, or five years old, I was lost at sea for a couple of hours. That life jacket saved my life.

Answer 3

There are a lot of kayakers who can't swim when they start.  I, personally, believe that swimming is a safety skill, but as long as you're wearing the right life vest, there's no reason why you can't go kayaking.

Unless you're shooting the rapids, the chances are that you won't ever enter the water, or, if you do, it will be either when you get in or get out of your 'yak.

Just remember: panic is the killer.  Stay calm and you won't have to swim....and if you have to swim, stay calm and let your life jacket do the work.  Oh, and if you're on a river, try to get oriented so that your feet are pointed down stream, that way you can see what's coming up and you can hit obstructions with your feet rather than your head.

Last word: LEARN TO SWIM.  It's a skill that can save your life.  You can't always wear a life vest and you can't always avoid water.

Answer 4

learn to swim  and get like a comfy fishing one so you can actually paddle

Answer 5

Maybe. . A properly fitted PFD used with crotch straps will support you in water. Avoid 'horse collar' jackets. A slip-over is best. Suggest to your father that you need some lessons before you go with him. You need to be comfortable in water...Most lessons start in calm water not a moving river.