Another Tragic Day at the Lake....

[Simon.O.]

This debate has raged this time and has done so in the past.
I have never swum for a boat.....I have thought about it more than once but never done it.......Why ??

I have always had other retrieval methods available to me,
Tennis ball on a fishing pole (rod here in NZ)
Retrieval boat, I have built more than a few and know what I need
Running another FE out to bring in a stranded hull, not fun but doable. Ask Jesse how much fun it can be.
Waiting for the wind to bring it in
Borrowing a kayak off the local club
Going all the way home to get my Kayak and then going for a sensible rescue.

I use all of these methods and have NEVER swum for a boat.

A few points here. The water is not all that warm here and where I run it is very dirty (swan poo and all)

As far as swimming goes I would wager that I would beat many model boaters.
I was not so long ago a dive instructor and a commercial diver too.

No wetsuit of PFD for me! If my boat is gone then it is gone, end of !

Now here is where it may get interesting.
If I ran in an area where it was warm and ther water was clear and by clear I mean not just visability but clear of underwater hazards such as unseen fishing lines, trees, sharp rocks etc, then I would deffo swim for it.

For me and now it is a NO Swim policy.

[04DarkShadowGT]

It is true, I am an idiot. Maybe that is why I honestly don't see the issue with swimming after a boat. Ok if you are on a lake you have never been to, its extremely mucky, or whatever then sure dont swim for it. Clearly if you have a retrieval boat, fishing pole, kayak, whatever it would be a better choice.

But I don't drive my boat 200 yards away from where I am. I try and keep it as close to me and the shore as possible. I don't boat in a lake that either I haven't ever been to or the people I am with have never been to. I mainly try to find places with beaches so you know people are swimming there every day so you aren't going to find some 1 in a million watering deal like the guy on page 1 was talking about.

Im not leaving $500 on the bottom of a lake because I am paranoid about getting tangled in fishing line. Famous last words? Who knows, Im gonna gun run my boat and swim after it when it flips. As the movie lines go, if Im not back in 30 minutes call the police :)

[AndyKunz]

If I ran in an area where it was warm and ther water was clear and by clear I mean not just visability but clear of underwater hazards such as unseen fishing lines, trees, sharp rocks etc, then I would deffo swim for it.

If nothing else, it will make it a quick job for the recovery guys to find your body.

Andy

[Rumdog]

Seriously, if you're an adult, you can make the correct choice. If you ARE an avid swimmer and know the lake it's your choice. I swam for a boat once in very cold water. I felt like a complete idiot afterwards.

[Jmauld]

This was recently posted on a boat forum I visit. I think it has some relevance to this thread, and it's something we should all be aware of since we are spending time near water.

http://mariovittone.com/2010/05/154/

[Meniscus]

This was recently posted on a boat forum I visit. I think it has some relevance to this thread, and it's something we should all be aware of since we are spending time near water.

http://mariovittone.com/2010/05/154/

Great article Thanks for sharing!

To those that swim after their boats;

Please have the following ready at a moments notice.....

Last will and testament of (insert name here);

Dear Mom/ Dad/ Wife/ Brother/ Sister/ Significant Other/ etc.......
Due to my untimely death , I leave all my posessions to...(insert names here).

To everyone that ever cared about me, please let me explain why swimming after a dead boat was more important to me than providing you all with a living Mom/ Dad/ Wife/ Brother/ Sister/ Significant Other/ etc.......

Well, its like this ....(insert lame ass excuse here).


I'm sure they will be comforted by this and understand your reasoning.

Doby hit it right on the nose! At least give us and your family your lame excuse so that others can heed the warnings.

[BakedMopar]

USE COMMON SENSE!!

Serioulsy guys. I'm sure a lot of us run boats in our favorite swimming spots. I know I do. If no ones in the water, I will throw my boat in if I have it with me. If it flips I will get I. And flip it back over.

Where I normally run is quite larger and I would not swim across to do the same. I always take a rescue craft and usually have my fishing pole. This pond is frequent by paddle boarders, kayakers, and canoe paddlers so if all I have doesn't work someone will usually help out. Worst case I would have to go home and get my kayak.


Another thing brought up is inflatable rafts. This is just as dangerous as swimming. Boats have sharp objects that will puncture your raft.


Everything dealing with water IS dangerous. How many people drown in their bath tubs every year. Think about that water knob or that spout sticking out. On slip and you will get seriously hurt. But we get in that shower every day.

[chummer]

This was recently posted on a boat forum I visit. I think it has some relevance to this thread, and it's something we should all be aware of since we are spending time near water.

http://mariovittone.com/2010/05/154/

Thanks for sharing. I am going to print and link this to as many people as I can. Everyone should read this.

Guys, I can assure you that this is exactly the way it is. I have nearly drowned 2 times in my life and this is exactly how it happened! Nobody around me (not even the lifegaurd) had any idea that I was in trouble.

[AndyKunz]

Another thing brought up is inflatable rafts. This is just as dangerous as swimming. Boats have sharp objects that will puncture your raft.

Many years ago (1989?) my buddy Brock and I were out in January running. January - that's usually the coldest month of the year. The pond was half-covered with ice and the other half was open. Problem was, the hydro hopped out of turn 2 and ended up about 20' onto the super-thin ice.

I inflated the raft (using my car exhaust, having condensation which promptly froze once filled with air) and Brock paddled out to it.

Did I mention the thin ice was razor sharp?

So I got my boat back, Brock get a COLD AND WET bottom, and we both learned something. I learned that you shouldn't go out on an inflatable raft w/o a PFD, and Brock learned not to listen to me :)

It turned out OK, but if it hadn't ... And the fire dept was only a block away.

Same pond, in the summer - boat got stuck, but this time we used an inner tube from the guy across the road and I got to swim in a pond with a duck poop bottom. But at least I had flotation on me!

Andy

[Flying Scotsman]

Im not leaving $500 on the bottom of a lake because I am paranoid about getting tangled in fishing line. Famous last words? Who knows, Im gonna gun run my boat and swim after it when it flips. As the movie lines go, if Im not back in 30 minutes call the police :)

When I was young (9 years old) and invincible I built my own design balsa wood boats the local pond probably swallowed up at least 5 hulls, did I swim for them, are you kidding, were they expensive? in my mind's eye they were priceless treasures.

Douggie

[ozzie-crawl]

i have gone into the pond a few times its only 5 feet deep was it smart probably not,but i tell you one thing i have swum with sharks (yep big bity ones) but going in ponds with very little visability is scaryier,bit like the time i was in a swamp
but thats another story

[Jeepers]

lets see...... if I or any of the club members swam at our lake we would probably be kicked off the property,and never allowed back. if you drowned well you wont have to go far to be buried our lake is a cemetery storage pond right next to the cemetery...... seriously.

Its not worth swimming for the boat don't do it.

I have done it once and will never do it again, the experience scared the crap out of me.