Re: Safety issues: PFDs

Yes, practicing sun safety is important and I usually use a white very loose fitting shirt during peak sun hours. However, it is rare that I have time to paddle in the mid-day. Like many others, I'm usually limited to early am and early evening when UV intensity is low.

Even at 20-25 C. air temp, high humidity, and morning/evening hours, overheating is a real comfort and saftey issue when heartrate is steady at 160-170 for extended periods.

Linda and karen, Is there a link where I could see a pic of the Mocke pfd, front and back? Do you ship overseas to the US, or would shipping be too expensive? Do you know if the Mocke pfd meet USCG type 1,2,3 or 5 requirements?

Hi I'm new to this web site , so sorry if I'm repeating any question that have been asked b4.
What website is the best place to buy a Mocke PFD online and have shipped to Asia ?
What is the best website to get all of your gear from for Surf Skiing ,ie paddle shorts and so on ?

Thanks

What website is the best place to buy a Mocke PFD online and have shipped to Asia ?

Very shortly Surfski.info will be the best place to get the Mocke PFD! We've signed up with Quiver to sell their stuff and we can supply anywhere in the world.

There are lots of great points raised here and this is a very important topic as it has the potential to be a life or death situation for members of our paddling community.

While we look at past numbers of incidents as an indicator for PFDs or no PFDs we also need to look forward to the growth surfski is experiencing and with an influx of new paddlers they will adopt the rules and attitudes of the role models we present to them.

In my opinion saving even one life through being proactive is enough to warrant an official line on supporting the use of PFDs in races and training.

Im from the Philippines where temperature at the bay is between 26 to 33 deg celsius. Its hot compared to what you guys have and Im pretty ok with the mocke. The Ladies at Quiver accommodated my overseas request and it arrived well and good.
Water drains quickly, I can move properly with no restriction and best of all, it has a hydration bladder (2 liters) good enough for 2 hours paddling. By the way, its constructed using air cool fabric (mesh) and it does have very good ventilation.

For sun protection, I wear a long sleeve rash guard with an spf rating of 35 to 45. I also wear a Nike dry fit cap and have sun glasses (polarized) to protect my eyes. For the legs, I sometimes where my CWX compression tights to cover me up. However, this skin protection I have going is really not enough. I have to start putting sports sunblock next time as the post on skin cancer is a reality we all have to face and protect ourselves from.

Wearing a pfd increases the odds of you surviving in the water in the event of a mishap. No matter how good we are in swimming, the ocean and the force of nature is something we cannot outrun. Learn to adapt to paddling with a pfd rather than you having to die because you didnt have one. Its your life, choose to live.

A quick note from Goya Gear (apologies, I don't want this to become an advertising portal!!!) in response to Rouens post... Yes our PFD's have been approved by CSA and were intially developed for the white water industry by 5 time SA Freestyle Champion, Andrew Kellet.

Check them out on www.goyagear.co.za

The range includes PFD's with/without flare pockets, towing and drinking systems.

Let us know what you think...

Happy Paddling - hope everyone is enjoying the mega swells off the Cape - defintely PFD weather!!!! ;D ;D

Thank you for the response Greg


Can you recomend a specific model for surfski paddling, I see there`s quite a few models with only little difference between them or am I wrong?

I would recommend the vest style PFD's (i.e. Freestyle/Rodeo, scout, Waterboy or Recce) - the main difference between all of these are the pockets and drinking systems - I think it is a matter of personal preference (i.e. whether you want your drinking system on your back or would rather tape it to your deck...)

If you can wait a couple of weeks some exciting developments to follow soon...

Cheers
Greg