Quote:
Originally Posted by Bear Islander
If a power boater can't see a 17' kayak why would they be able to see a 1' flag? And a flag will clearly make it at least a little harder to right an overturned kayak. People down in kayaks quite regularly.
I will agree that anybody that goes out in a navy blue kayak wearing a navy blue life jacket is a moron. However there are many ways to increase conspicuity other than flags.
Kayaks do not not have the same right to be anywhere on the lake that power boats do. They have MORE right to be on the lake than power boats. If there really is a safety conflict between power boats and kayaks it is the power boat that needs to be restricted.
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Why do they have MORE right to be on the lake than power boats? Sorry, I'm sticking to my argument that kayakers have some burden to make themselves visible to other boaters. I don't believe they have the majority of burden, but they should have some. A kayak sits just inches above the water, and is arguably difficult to see due to a number of factors. A flag, on the other hand, would sit feet above the water and would be required to be of a color visible from a distance. I think hunter orange would be an appropriate color for a flag.
Speaking of hunters, maybe we could use that as an analogy as well. The State mandates that hunters wear orange so they can be seen, even though common sense would say that they would wear it regardless. Why is the argument with kayaks any different? I just don't understand all of the resistance to something so simple, yet so beneficial. Could it be that kayakers don't like the State breathing down their backs and imposing rules? I wonder???