20 - Wednesday, April 18, 1990 - North Shore News OCF AN KAYAK CENTRE 1668 Duranleau Sr., Granville Island Vancouver, B.C. V6H 3S4 The Ocean Kayaking Resource Centre Sales, Rentals, Lessons and Evening Seminars Contact us for a rental or course brochure Phone (604) 689-7575 Fax (604) 689-5926 Cruise into Savings & Fiotation devices save lives LIFESAVING DEVICES have come a long way since the Egyp- tians floated on inflated animal skins, and the ancient Chinese bobbed on bundled bamboo poles. But even though almost everybody concedes that having a lifejacket or personal flotation device (PFD) is a good idea, there’s still a problem getting peo- ple to wear them, says the Cana- dian Coast Guard. The ideal situation will have ar- rived when wearing PFDs **becomes as natural as buckling up in acar.’’ The Coast Guard would like to hasten that day, says Dan Roslee, whose job it is to ensure that the lifesaving devices in the Canadian marketplace do what they’re in- tended to do. Faced with the numbing statistics that every year, more than 200 Canadians will drown in pleasure boating accidents, the Coast Guard is vitally concerned with the topic. Making lifesaving devices more comfortable to wear has helped people make them part of their reguiar boating attire. Today's devices are a far cry from those of the ancient Chinese and Egyptians, or the cork blocks, carried on ancient sailing ships to mark anchor positions, that were thrown to sailors who had fallen overboard. Modern lifesaving equipment comes in a broad variety of designs and applications. Some personal flotation devices are light and comfortable enough to be worn by sailboarders without restricting their freedom of move- VoL A LAAN Lh Lh f ~ . a Aprii i to 22 phone for weekly specials Open House April 20, 21, 22. join us for coffee & donuts ¢ 26% off Paints ¢ 15% off Cleaning Supplies _* And Much More! | EVERYTHING MARINE -M. LM: O. i”: -of Superior Quality 1368 West Broadway Vv ncouver, B.C..V6H THe - --(604):736-3565 - : r\ NORTH SHORE MARINE WABABAAAs” VN op sides and 46 Bei edeem = * Epigiass nti-fouling ae mm 6. ® General i m ¢ international @ ot , hile sto wesT SHIP-RIGHT FIBREGLASS LTD. 984-2090 Mosquito Creek Marina, Ft. of Bewicke, N. Van. V7L 4K6 arn a cri NT WRSRESB rs ” Marine Electronics | ment or agility; compact enough Not to get in the way of a canoeist’s paddle stroke, or a fish- erman’s cast. Others will not only float an in- dividual, but also stall the onset of hypothermia in colder waters by keeping the person warm for a longer period of time. What made these possible was the invention of closed-cell foam plastic flotation materials that provide the required buoyancy ina more compact package, and, when incorporated in designs such as **floater’” suits, have the added advantage of retarding heat loss. What’s the difference between personal flotation devices and life- jackets? Not many people know, accord- ing to Roslee. However, it is a fact that the word ‘“‘lifejacket’’ can no longer be considered a_ generic term. The main difference is that a lifejacket will ensure that an un- conscious person will float face up in the water. A PFD will not nec- essarily do that. That’s why passenger-carrying offshore vessels must still carry “‘lifejackets’’ as defined by regula- tions. They meet the most rigorous standards for flotation of people who may be incapacitated in the case of a vessel abandonment. Charlie Page, who is Chief, Prevention and Auxilliary for the Canadian Coast Guard, offers another definition. Lifejackets, he says, are designed primarily for emergency situations while PFDs are intended for contant use. There are actually four categories of lifesaving devices which are. accepted by the Coast Guard and Transport Canada. The ‘‘lifejacket’’ is kapok-filled, provides the most flotation, and is generally modelled on the “keyhole” style. It’s normally in- expensive, and meets rigorous criteria as an effective means of keeping a person afloat with the head out of water in almost all cir- cumstances. The ‘‘Small Vessel Regulations See Don't Page 21 SEYCOVE @ SERVICE on the water near the Chevron Fuel Dack GIVE US A CALL FOR A SPRING TUNE-UP AND OIL CHANGE OR POWER WASHING — BOTTOM PAINTING! ACCT STERN ORIVES/INBOARDS + : on the water at Mosquito Creek Marina ” ae SPRING TUNE-UPS « ALL MAKES * GENERAL BOAT REPAIRS « woe, ee # FUEL BARGE OPENING SOON Associated with North Shore . . jarine an NEW MARINER OUTBOARDS # 35 TON TRAVEL LIFT «x Giving us access to sales & ee &« DO-ITYOURSELF WORK AREA * service of all marine engines. 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