Sail
Safe!!
(as published in the New England Windsurfing Journal)
Here’s a list of safety devices we should all carry.
Some URLs are provided for starters, but there are plenty
of other sources. Use any search engine with some simple keywords
and you’ll find others. Keep in mind; you are
looking for marine grade devices, submersible if possible.
Also keep in mind that size matters. If it’s too big, you
will probably start to leave it behind after a few sessions.
(See the reprinted NEWJ article below for a comprehensive review
of some safety considerations to make in conjunction with any
safety equipment purchases.)
Note: I try to keep links up to date, but if you should find any
links to be dead, please email me at contact@poloukhine.com.
PFD (Personal Floatation Device)
http://www.overtons.com/modperl/overtons/order/items2.cgi?request=aisle&catnum=1J4
http://www.outdoorplay.com/store/category.asp?CategoryCode=LJ
Helmet
http://www.protechelmet.com/products.asp?cat=11
http://www.apollo11shop.co.uk/showdetails.asp?id=167
http://www.murrays.com/gath/gath.html
Whistle
http://store.yahoo.com/landfallnav/sf40w.html
http://store.yahoo.com/landfallnav/-soww3.html
http://www.outdoorplay.com/store/Product3.0.asp?DeptID=&SKU=ESA_A6FOX
Note: the international distress call at sea is five long
blasts of a horn. If you’ve got a whistle, stick with that
(or the three short, three long, three short “SOS”
Morse code) While not everyone will know what you’re on
about, if you keep it up, even those who don’t will wonder
what your problem is and just might take notice.
Strobes
http://www.joediveramerica.com/page/JDA/PROD/lights/AS-10
http://www.outdoorplay.com/store/productlist.asp?F=2&PDID=11&DID=328
http://www.boatersland.com/acr3959.html
Reflective tape
Make sure you
buy tape that meets USCG requirements. Put it wherever you are
willing: helmet, vest, board, sail.
http://www.identi-tape.com/solas.html
http://www.landfallnavigation.com/ssrt1.html
http://www.reflexiteamericas.com/locations.htm
VHF Radio
http://www.deepblueelectronics.com/Raymarine-Ray101-Handheld-VHF-
Radio-P1288.aspx
http://www.beachaudio.com/product_info.php?products_id=50305&GCID=C2585x003>KW=nautico-1vp&ref=true
No license is required to operate a VHF, but it is illegal to
use on shore. Links for more info regarding VHF radio
transmissions, protocol, and coverage areas.
http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/marcomms/boater.htm
Flares
http://store.yahoo.com/landfallnav/ssdns.html
http://store.yahoo.com/landfallnav/solaspara.html
http://store.yahoo.com/landfallnav/solashand.html
http://store.yahoo.com/landfallnav/-ssohs.html
PLB (Personal Locator Beacon.)
The Fastfind Plus is a hand-held Personal Location
Beacon that features a built-in GPS receiver (Global Positioning
System) combined with a 406 MHz transmitter and 121.5 MHz homing
signal. In the event of an emergency, an alert signal is
transmitted to Cospas-Sarsat satellites and forwarded to a rescue
coordination center within typically 3 minutes. The built-in GPS
receiver will provide latitude and longitude coordinates to give
a position to within typically 98 feet anywhere in the world. An
expensive option, but if you’re serious about safety, it's
worth having. Keep in mind, first responders may not be equipped
to receive the signal, while they will see a $10 flare
http://store.yahoo.com/landfallnav/spwff1.html
Fluorescent markers
& dyes, flags
http://store.yahoo.com/landfallnav/-sfdye.html
http://store.yahoo.com/landfallnav/stick.html
http://store.yahoo.com/landfallnav/srsl1.html
Packs & Cases
http://www.jandd.com/fanny_packs.asp
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=%22fanny+pack%22
http://www.thewaterproofstore.com/aqua080.html (Flip Phone Case)
http://www.thewaterproofstore.com/aloksakarm.html (Arm Band Pack)
========
As
featured in the New England Windsurfing Journal:
When considering going out in just about any conditions,
planning for safety is just that: planning. Whether going
out in mild conditions, in the summer at Ninigret or winter
storm conditions off some rocky coast, dealing with disaster
as an inevitability is essential. The first step is acknowledging
the danger. It’s very easy to pretend things
won’t go wrong, but once they have its too late. Expect
you’ll eventually be in trouble; consider the specifics of
what emergencies you might face, and plan out what you can
do to help yourself in advance.
A few pointers to get you there:
Know your conditions
Before you even sail, review
the conditions: currents, tides, water & air temperatures,
wind speeds and directions, daylight. Consider your launch
site’s appropriateness for the expected conditions.
Sometimes what seems like the best launch can turn out to be real
trouble if there’s a wind shift, or a tide change. A severe
air temperature drop can spell disaster if you
haven’t dressed for it. A few hours floating under
sunny fall skies are a lot different from the same amount of time
under a clear fall night.
Having considered the current and forecast conditions, and
selected your site, make a mental note of the site specifics
that can become critical in a self- rescue: piers, jetties, sand
bars, buoys… all can become a lifesaver.
Buddy up
Never sailing alone is the first best safety practice. Always
buddy up, even if it’s as simple as saying “hi”
and “let’s keep an eye out for each other.” If you
can’t you might want to re-consider going (or staying) out.
Someone working for you onshore can mean the difference between a
close call and a disaster. When sailing with others, keep an eye
out for trouble. If you see someone down while sailing, swing by
within earshot to check up on them. If you’re on land, keep
an eye on them and if they aren’t recovering, call 911. If
they recover and you can always call it off.
Make yourself safe
Skin: Dress for the emergency situation, not the ideal. Most
emergency situations that went bad involved a long wait time in
the water. Time is your enemy when it comes to hypothermia.
Expect you may end up floating around for at least a few hours if
you get into trouble and dress accordingly. Kiters should expect
to sit in the water, even if they don’t lose their rig.
Windsurfers should not assume they will have their rig to sit on,
as you might get separated from it. Don’t be fooled by warm
air, or even “warm” water. A few hours in even summer
water can lead to hypothermia if you aren’t dressed for the
occasion.
Floatation device: Short of wave sailing in Hawaii there
is no reason not to wear one. Today’s vests are made for all
sorts of active water sports where mobility is essential and
designed into the vest. Many also come with pockets for safety
gear (see below). In the even that you are knocked out by an
impact or pass out from exposure, a vest is your only chance of
still making it. And even if not, it will help you keep yourself
above water if the conditions are (or get) rough, or you simply
need to rest. Don’t count on your board to be your
floatation device; you might get separated or be too tired out to
hang on to it.
Helmet: Several windsurfing deaths have occurred as a
result of an impact that left the victim unconscious. If you
think your head is safe while sailing, try having a friend hit
you on the back of the head with the bottom half of your mast.
There are many different helmets out there, and most provide
excellent protection without impeding hearing or sight. They are
also much more convenient than your hair for reflective tape.
You and your stuff
There’s no hard and fast rule about what to do with your
equipment. It’s a decision that can only be made on the
spot. Either way, its worth considering the simple fact that if
the equipment floats, it will most likely be found first in a
rescue situation.
If you are at shore, or clearly safe but your equipment is
dragging you out, it might be time to ditch it and get yourself
in. With that in mind, label your equipment with your contact
information. If you’re in a situation where you can make it
in yourself but are reluctant to let it go, you might let it go
easier if you know it’s got your name on it. If you do ditch
it, alert authorities that you’ve lost it so they don’t
launch a search for you when they find it floating around on its
own.
On the other hand, once you leave your equipment, your chances
drop dramatically if you find you can’t get yourself in. If
you are past the point of no return that you could expect to
swim back, stick with your rig. Again, remember, your rig is big,
and is in just about every case, the first thing found. In
the case of windsurfers your board also happens to be a great way
to stay out of the water, allowing you to extend your survival
time and avoid hypothermia.
Make yourself
obvious
Once prepared to last out a search and rescue, the next step is
to do what you can to speed it up. The basic plan is to first be
able to alert people that you are in distress, and when help does
arrive to be able to alert rescuers to your location.
Remember, You may find yourself in a situation where you can hear
the rescue efforts, but they do not see or hear you. Carrying a
variety of devices will not only help diversify your self rescue
capabilities and give you that many more backups in the even one
fails.
But almost more important than what safety devices you carry is
with what you carry them. If you don’t make it easy to carry
them with you, you are more likely to leave them behind, and all
the safety gear in the world does you no good if its in your bag
while you are struggling out at sea. Fanny pack, arm pack, vest
pockets… figure out which is best for you and use it.
Personally I like the vest pockets: I always wear my vest, and
this way I’ve always got my stuff. I used to use a fanny
pack but started getting lazy and leaving it behind.
Keep your head
If all has failed and you find yourself in distress, stay calm
and use your head. If you are prepared with some safety and
signaling devices, have a buddy aware of your plight, are with
your equipment and are properly dressed, a safe rescue is
inevitable. But you have to stay calm. Get your safety gear
working for you right away. And figure you’ll be floating
for a while before you’re found, even if you know a search
is in progress; it’s a big ocean and you’re pretty
small.
Often neglected in safety considerations however is the
likelihood that when faced with a desperate situation you
will panic. Panic is irrational (spoken from experience). The
best you can do to prepare for a panic situation is to have
ingrained into your mind through regular repetition what to do in
case of emergency. Like a fire drill: you do it by rote, not by
thinking. Whether it’s the mantra “stick with your
rig” or something else, think it through while you are safe,
and keep repeating each time you go out. It should be an instinct
by the time you need it.
The other point where reason can fail you is in hypothermia. When
the body becomes hypothermic, non- essential body functions have
blood supply reduced or cut off to conserve energy for those life
essential functions. Contrary to popular belief (although perhaps
not to most highway commuters) the ability to reason is not a
life essential body function. At some point into hypothermia, you
will not be thinking straight. Again, as with panic, the best
defense is an ingrained instinctive emergency plan, and in this
case, since hypothermia doesn’t exactly subside with time
(as might panic) you need to be sure you’ve gotten things
going in your favor before it starts to set in. This is where a
strobe, dye a floatation device and sticking with your board
really matter.
Do it
Safety doesn’t just happen. You need to be proactive about
it. Before going out again, think through the steps above
and honestly critique your preparedness. You probably aren’t
as prepared as you could be. Do yourself and your loved ones
a favor and take the simple steps it takes to sail safe.