Re: VHF radios

From: Eyes4Hire@aol.com-DeleteThis.com
Date: Mon Apr 02 2001 - 08:45:21 PDT

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From: Eyes4Hire@aol.com-DeleteThis.com
Message-ID: <8a.497c241.27f9f891@aol.com-DeleteThis.com>
Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 11:45:21 EDT
Subject: Re: VHF radios
To: wind_talk@opus.labs.agilent.com-DeleteThis.com

In a message dated 4/2/01 7:40:39 AM Pacific Daylight Time, jrstudio@home.com-DeleteThis.com
writes:

> This radio business all sounds a little malicious and irresposible
> to me. What i can't understand is why would you endanger your life
> & the lifes of others, not to mention the coast guards? Why are you
> going out so far that you can't make it back on your own? Is your
> equipment going to fail because you are to cheap to replace last
> years uni? I understand that equipment can break, even when it is
> brand new, but if you can't swim in -- you shouldn't be there(.)
> Don't endanger your life or the lifes of others, not to mention the
> coast guards!

I carry a radio as much for the protection of others as for myself and have
rescued numerous people including stranded non-windsurfers. What if you go
out a mile at Third or Crissy and break get injured... break a foot because
it doesn't release from the strap or break a rib hitting your boom. What if
two windsurfers collide at speed and break some bones (yes, it has happened).
Now your swimming ability isn't so good. A few years back a windsurfer died
after being injured hitting a mud bar at Third Avenue. He was apparantly
conscious as he tied himself to the board, but with a broken neck he could
not swim to shore.

I think we should all exercise good judgment, but if we all made absolutely
sure we couldn't get in trouble, we'd stay within 300 feet of shore. I have
swam home a long way without turning on my VHF. You don't have to use it and
you shouldn't let it make you stupid like a guy who has a gun in his pocket
and feels like he can bully anyone who comes along. On the other hand, I bet
every one of us has been in a spot where some very poorly timed bad luck
would have made a dire situation. One nice thing about VHF marine radio is
that you can use it to hail pleasure boats on a non-emergency frequency and
see if you can negotiate a ride. In one case where a windsurfer became
separated from his rig and board in hectic Crissy conditions after a
universal separation, I found his sail and called the Coast Guard to launch a
search and recover the rig. That allowed any boat monitoring to know that a
swimmer was in the water and to keep an eye out. Sure he could swim in the
mile or so, but it is pretty hectic to when ferry boats and dozens of
sailboats are zig zagging back and forth and not looking for a swimmer in the
water. They might not hit you... or maybe you have bad luck and get killed.

I think most of the windsurfers I know are not irresponsible and malicious. I
would encourage anyone who sails more than a 1/2 mile offshore to carry a
radio AND to sail responsibly. We shouldn't use the Coast Guard as a luxury
rescue service, but if a legit need develops that's why they are there. It
would be a shame to lose someone because people are overly fearful of calling
the Coast Guard.

Peter

Next message: Earl Armas: "For Sale : Thule Box , etc"
Previous message: Dave Polzer: "Malicious and Irresponsible?!?!?!"
Maybe in reply to: Ken Poulton: "VHF radios"
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