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Benjamin Franklin is credited with originating the quote “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” A float (&/or paddle) plan is a must for anyone going out on the water to float, boat, hunt, fish, or paddle. Even if you’re going on a short excursion, you need to provide a plan to someone with basic information that describes your vessel, route plan, when you expect to return, and how many people are with you. That responsible person with your float plan needs to notify authorities if you don’t return as planned. As the filer of the float plan, you must notify your responsible person when you return and if there are any changes in your plan.
A well-known fact about Franklin is that his kite-in-a-thunderstorm experiment verified the electrical nature of lightening. Electricity and water are not a good combination and pop-up thunderstorms can come out of nowhere. Checking the weather before you go boating or paddling is always a must, but you need to plan for a means to continue to check the weather when you’re out on the water too. Cell phones can be undependable. You must plan for other means (i.e. marine VHF radio etc.) to get updated weather information, if there’s any possibility of not having cell phone service where you’re going.
A lesser-known fact about Franklin is that he was an avid swimmer and is credited with inventing swim fins. In his essay titled “On the Art of Swimming,” Franklin wrote, “When I was a boy, I made two oval [palettes] each about 10 inches long and six broad, with a hole for the thumb in order to retain it fast in the palm of my hand. They much resembled a painter’s [palettes].” He also tried fins for his feet, but said they weren’t as effective. Knowing how to swim may decrease your chances of drowning, but it’s not guaranteed because many people who drown in open water (i.e. lakes, rivers, etc.) knew how to swim.
Something people of Franklin’s era didn’t know is that wearing a life jacket is a must when you’re in, on, or near open water. Waves, currents, varying water depths, and other unknowns can make swimming, paddling, and boating in open water hazardous. Just like wearing a seat belt in a car, you never know when you’re going to need a life jacket. Your open water plan needs to include making sure everyone is wearing a properly-fitted life jacket.
Make fail-safe plans to help ensure that you enjoy all your open water adventures. Remember to file a float plan, keep an eye on the weather forecast, don’t depend on your swimming skills to save your life, and wear a life jacket. Remember, Life Jackets Worn…Nobody Mourns. You can learn more at PleaseWearIt.com.
| Date Taken: | 09.07.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 09.07.2022 16:20 |
| Story ID: | 428757 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 25 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Don’t Fail to Plan for Open-Water Fun, by Pamela Doty, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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