: This is great Ken,
: So we might turn this into a more accurate sound bite:
: 'Kayaks are involved in 1% of the accidents, 5% of the fatalities;
: 88% by drowning.'

: I downloaded the 2008 Coast Guard "Boating Statistics 2008
: pdf" (a lot of motors, booze, speed and inattention)
: • If you're not wearing a life jacket you're 10x more likely to
: drown.
: • 70% of the accidents are in vessels less than 21' --That's us!
: • Only 10% of fatalities were in boats where the operators
: received safety instructions.
: ---So read "Sea Kayaker's Deep Trouble" Matt Boze and
: George Gronseth then
: practice rolling and re-entries with your most experienced friends.

: Will (this might be interesting, but it's definitely proof that I'm
: procrastinating stripping the deck of my Mystery project....)

Training is the key, an awful lot of people I find out paddling in conditions I'd think about first in 10' poly kayaks with no pfds. Can't imagine why we have those statistics.

Bill H.