Do you skimp on safety gear????

[mik01]

ie - do you buy the cheapest possible gear you can, regardless of safety features or do you buy the best you can get? or inbetween?

and why?

ps - no shout downs at people pls - seeking honest answers and reasons why - no right or wrong answers...

[bluefin59]

I buy the best i can afford as i dont want to risk mine or others life with bodgie equipment...matt

[Reel Nauti]

Like tools, I buy the best I can afford. So long as they're up to the mark ie Australian Saftey Standard approved.

Dave

[Jabba_]

I buy what I can afford.... For example My PFD1's cost $80 each I have 3 adult and 2 children at $40 each.... I could off payed upto $100 for the Adult and $60 for the kids, but I cold not see and extra quality or boyancy with those PFD's....

I also have 5 more El'cheapo PFD1's that I use for the purpose if I have 7 people on board I got them with the boat.... I also have 2 PFD2's that I use for sking or tubing....

Struth thats 12 life jackets....

When I get my 406 Epirb. I will again buy the best I can afford..

[Braddles]

I decided not to select an option, as I think people are very much caught up in the notion that you HAVE to pay a more money for the best equipment.

THIS IS NOT THE CASE.

Jabba hit the nail on the head in his post...

A PFD by law HAS to make the very stringent Australian Standard to be called a PFD (cat 1, 2 or 3). The difference you pay for may be things like bulky for cheap PFD V's slim line and thus perhaps more comfort for mid range, to a brand name with "mildew resistant coating" in high end.

Marketing has us thinking we need to by the best and spend to the limit when it comes to precious things like our kids (eg. a cot) and safety items, anything that tugs at our heart strings, to get an extra dollar out of us.

V - sheets are a real laugh. They have to make the standard. You pay between $10.00 and $90.00. Orange canvas, Black V.... the cheap one in a clear no name packet, the expensive one carrying the slogan "When safety counts"....

[mik01]

I decided not to select an option, as I think people are very much caught up in the notion that you HAVE to pay a more money for the best equipment.

THIS IS NOT THE CASE.

Jabba hit the nail on the head in his post...

A PFD by law HAS to make the very stringent Australian Standard to be called a PFD (cat 1, 2 or 3). The difference you pay for may be things like bulky for cheap PFD V's slim line and thus perhaps more comfort for mid range, to a brand name with "mildew resistant coating" in high end.

Marketing has us thinking we need to by the best and spend to the limit when it comes to precious things like our kids (eg. a cot) and safety items, anything that tugs at our heart strings, to get an extra dollar out of us.

V - sheets are a real laugh. They have to make the standard. You pay between $10.00 and $90.00. Orange canvas, Black V.... the cheap one in a clear no name packet, the expensive one carrying the slogan "When safety counts"....

maybe, but spending more money CAN equal more benefits.

for example, a pfd that only just meets standards won't have reflective taping, a whistle or a light, or even automatic inflation etc etc. could these added 'benefits' save your life potentially?

there can be a huge difference, then again as you state for the v sheet - none at all. or is there? does the more expensive v sheet last longer and is made from better material?

i don't know, but I'm not so sure that its only gimmicks between the 'standard' and the 'top of the range' gear.

[maztez]

Im with Matt as the old saying "when only the best will do " applies when your responsible for yours and others safety.
cheers Terry

[bigtez]

Perhaps an option that said you spent a little more for the best value quality product that didn't come with a brand name or unecessary features.

There is no way I am going to pay a fortune to have a Shimano, Hutchwilco, Yamaha or Humminbird logo all over my inflatable life jackets but I did however spend the extra and get auto inflating jackets.

[honda900]

I am not sure were getting the right responses here in the survey, I chose the second option because I buy good gear but not necessarily the most expensive. Seems only 7 people selected this, which is a bit strange.

I bought and fitted life jackets for each of my kids (2 are adult sizes), around the 80 dollar each mark, purchased manual inflatables for the 2 primary adults that will be on board for comfort, around the 100 mark but also purchased 4 pfd bloks @ about 20 bucks each for the punters, all are on the boat at all times.

Instead of buying the minumum requirement offshore flare kit I bought the NSW required one with parachute flares, chucked an epirb straight on, and bought every bit of other gear that I needed, then added 2 first kits and some other stuff on top.

I didnt select the top option cause I could have spent a hell of a lot more on my gear, just chose not to.

Regards
HOnda

[bushbeachboy]

Well I drive a punt, so don't take it outside the river/creek, ever. So I don't need to buy flares, epirb etc. I bought the el cheapo $20 PFD 1's, including whistle and reflective taping, and carry enough on board for every person on a particular trip. I already had a v-sheet, also an el-cheapo plastic one in a clear plastic case, and it seems to be fine. I don't see the point in buying expensive stuff when it is highly unlikely to ever get used.

[onerabbit]

I carry 2 epirbs, in case worst comes to worst, just in case my deckie & I are separated,

I think that says it all, SAFETY FIRST.

Muzz

[ronnien]

yep, buy the best gear u can afford. it"s not as easy as pushing your car to the side of the road & walking home, no it"s much much worse!

ron.

[ifishcq1]

I think price has only a small contact with quality so I agree get the best you can afford and that doesn't mean money it means moneys worth

SL

[Foxy4]

Some might call me a God. But I sure as hell can't walk on water just yet so i buy the best i can get when it comes to safety gear.

Also support your local Volunteer Coast Guard and or VMR as the cost of fuel is really starting to hurt them big time.

[marco]

i went with " i dont buy all the gear " which is best sumed up by a dennis leary song ;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D

[FNQCairns]

Looks like the I buy the best numbers are meaningless, who on average can afford the best. does anyone know what the best is worth.... and to kit an entire boat out with it!

cheers fnq

[mik01]

I am not sure were getting the right responses here in the survey, I chose the second option because I buy good gear but not necessarily the most expensive. Seems only 7 people selected this, which is a bit strange.

I bought and fitted life jackets for each of my kids (2 are adult sizes), around the 80 dollar each mark, purchased manual inflatables for the 2 primary adults that will be on board for comfort, around the 100 mark but also purchased 4 pfd bloks @ about 20 bucks each for the punters, all are on the boat at all times.

Instead of buying the minumum requirement offshore flare kit I bought the NSW required one with parachute flares, chucked an epirb straight on, and bought every bit of other gear that I needed, then added 2 first kits and some other stuff on top.

I didnt select the top option cause I could have spent a hell of a lot more on my gear, just chose not to.

Regards
HOnda

guys - the premise you should use here is - 'the best you can afford' - ie do you look at the product and its features and weigh that above the price tag, or does the pricetag influence what you're prepared to pay?

so do you even look at price?,
or do you weigh up price vs features and benefits,
or do you strictly look at price only and get the cheapest, compliant option,
or not all of the gear?

Honda, according to your desription you chose the second option correctly.
I chose the second also, because I chose to spend more on some items that I felt were better quality, however on some I looked at price and got the basics.

so price, for me, is relevant in my decision on what safety gear to buy. I don't feel I have short changed myself safety wise, however thats my personal choice and I could be wrong.

this is all about what people think - is that a bit clearer?

[trueblue]

I decided not to select an option, as I think people are very much caught up in the notion that you HAVE to pay a more money for the best equipment.

THIS IS NOT THE CASE.

Jabba hit the nail on the head in his post...

A PFD by law HAS to make the very stringent Australian Standard to be called a PFD (cat 1, 2 or 3). The difference you pay for may be things like bulky for cheap PFD V's slim line and thus perhaps more comfort for mid range, to a brand name with "mildew resistant coating" in high end.

Marketing has us thinking we need to by the best and spend to the limit when it comes to precious things like our kids (eg. a cot) and safety items, anything that tugs at our heart strings, to get an extra dollar out of us.



there is a big difference in just barely meeting australian standards and safety gear being as good as possible when you are in the sh!t...

I do offshore sea survival training every three years and trust me, you don't want a cheap and nasty life jacket if your boat just sank...

we spend about 6 hours floating in life jackets and also alternatively without floatation and there is nothing worse than the crappy cheap arse life jackets.

there is a very big difference between what barely keeps you afloat (even if it is approved by australian standards) and what does a good job of keeping you afloat.

cheers

Mick

[Almako]

I've picked "you are prepared to sacrafice".
I generally have between two and four people on board at any given time and have 2 yoke style and two reasonably expensive jacket type. I have done this because i was originally sceptical as to how good the yoke's would be if you were in the water for a period of time (in comparison to the jacket type).
I have since changed my mind and ware the yoke one's when i'm on my own, out at night with other crew or rough weather. In fact i enforce the others to ware them if the above conditions are apparent.
I also carry the cheap yellow life jackets for the remaining 2 allowable people. However, it is only a matter of time and these two extras will also have yokes.
As for the remainder of the gear, i have had to sacrifice on buying a 406 epirb as the other type were cheaper at the time, and i had just spent $40k on the boat. I don't do a lot of off shore work. But i am looking forward to purchasing top of the range automatic starting epirb for my next one.
I am a bit of a fan of expensive good quality gear, as i apreciate the quality when i need it. For instance i never buy cheap tools anymore i will always buy the best i can afford at the time.
:)

[nigelr]

Perhaps one needs to examine this issue in the 'worst case scenario'.
If you were thrown out of your boat and in the process knocked unconscious, which safety items would be relevent to your survival?
I would suggest these items would want to be of the finest design and quality.
I'm assuming, primarily lifejackets and epirbs.
Currently my lifejackets are rubbish, though fine for estuary use maybe.
I had a little 'fun' incident a while back, and I will be upgrading my lifejacket (I always fish solo when going inshore, only have a 4.2 tinny) to the finest available before my next bar crossing!
Cheers.

[PADDLES]

i picked the second one. because even though i believe that anyone who has spent a sh!tload of cash buying a decent boat can easily afford to buy the highest spec gear, i still compare the value of the features to the difference in price and assess the suitability for my application.

for example i own a manually switched epirb because for my usage i failed to see the value in paying more for a water switched unit. likewise i only have the basic pfd1 jackets for adults, but for kids however i buy the best ones i can get. this is all based on the fact that i don't cross bars, if i did i'd have the self inflating pfd's and water switching epirb and all the bells and whistles.

[Xahn1960]

Given the costs we pay allready to indulge our hobby, Safety equipment really isn't all that exspensive. I base my choices on what I want it to do rather than what it costs, good quality and function dosn't allways mean the highest price but to cut corners may cost a lot more than a few bucks.........

Bill.

[hookinin]

I voted 2nd option because i think it was closest but i also double up on things that i think could more than likely help.Examples are i have a large first aid kit because we are in unstable conditions with fish with teeth,hooks,lines and sharp knives etc and fish up to 100kms from port. Also double up on fire extinguishers,torches,buckets and have spare lifejackets. I would think it more likely that something happen on or in the boat than the boat actually sinking.
Gaven

[the baker]

I buy the best I can afford some things are much the same no matter what price you pay to a point. But you must be sure that it will do what the intended purpose is. and that it is RELIABLE, so when most people go to the shop and buy there gear they go with the well know items & they do pay more I guess. But I guess the question is Do you skimp or not so you do make it back home safe. Lets face it accidents happen when we lest expect them to, and some are unavoidable. But being prepared to survive, and get help as quickly as possible can mean that you are going to see your loved ones again and they will see you. Paying the ultimate price SORRY THERE IS NO REFUND ON THAT ONE.


Dave.

[Dreamweaver]

Firstly, I think the response to this survey will depend greatly on how dependent you are on your safety gear. There's a big difference between cruisin down a small river in a Tinny, to the other end of the scale, going out wide and exposing yourself to testing conditions, miles from shore, and many conditions in between.

Also, I agree with some others, you don't have to buy the absolute best, just good quality that will do the job better than the absolute minimum requirement. Obviously, the best and easiest example is PFDs. Not sure if it's the same outside WA (probably), but when I picked up my $60K boat, I got 6 of those horrible 'yellow bricks'. So at $12.00 each, that's a mighty total of $72.00. I kept them as spares, but shelved out about $80.00 (each) for four PFDs (we rarely have more than 4 on our boat). The reason being is that the more expensive ones are FAR easier to put on in a hurry than the 'bricks'. When you are a precarious situation, you don't want to be messing around.

As I go out wide, into the (at times) treacherous Southern Ocean, out from Albany in WA, I have a full set of flairs (checked often), EPIRB, VHF (replaced the HF because it does a better job like the PFDs), Fire extinguisher etc.

Unless you are in very sheltered waters, I'd be asking the inevitable question, 'How much is Your Life Worth', then answer that my having all the equipment suitable to do the job, which, as I said, doesn't have to mean the most expensive.

Even in sheltered waters like estuaries, at least have a charged mobile if you don't have a transceiver. I've pulled 3 tinnnies in because they had broken down and had no way of contacting anyone, and have your local sea rescue mobile number loaded in it!(I know, not in the survey, but chucked it in anyway).

[MarkDiver]

Mik01
I have to admit to buying the cheapest within AS Std. as I'm a bit of a tight-arse when compelled to spend money on things I don't really want to!
In the same breath I'd like to thank you for your poll as it's got me thinking on some improvements I need to make in the safety dept. even though I am pretty meticulous and safety concious.
I have the yellow bricks stashed as I don't intend using them - so first improvement I will hang some PFD's behind seats readily available. Will get waterproof grab bag/container for flares and keep next to my seat with torch, epirb & extinguisher mounted next to it. Will rather stash the first aid kit and lower priority stuff in the storage bins. Thanks for the 'eye opener'.

[Pridey]

Im all for the saftey rules and completely abiding by them, no I dont have everything, but I dont take my boat out of partially smooth water, I have everything I need for there. I'm just not going to buy a $25 V sheet, if a $10 one will do the same thing. Life jackets etc on the other hand will be good quality.....

[BREEZE470]

Since giving birth to my 3 children I am a SAFETY freek ... my gear isn't the most expensive available but it all complies with Australian Safety Standards and is reliable. Our PFD's are the bulky zip up the front type - paid around $80 each for ours & $50 for the 2 little kids.

We haven't left the river systems yet (in the few times we've been out) but I've made sure that PFD's, Flares, V Sheet, Radio, Mobile Phones, Torch, Small Tool kit (basic spanners etc), Fresh Water Bottle (and nibblies for the kids), First Aid Kit, Beacon To Beacon (for reference purposes), Anchors, Paddles and suncreen are all on board.

Saving up for the EBIRP but with my limited experience won't be heading out to any place where it's needed for some time yet.

[death_ship]

does anyone also carry a PLB epirb on their person as well as the normal epirb in the boat?

[BREEZE470]

does anyone also carry a PLB epirb on their person as well as the normal epirb in the boat?

That's a good question that I would also be interested in reading the answer to as I had considered these for later on when we get 'upto' going out further.

[BREEZE470]

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=260258651573&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=016

On the subject of PFDs'.... would this be a suitable style/price for estruary/smooth water fishing?? I have no intentions of taking my little boat out over any bars any time soon.

[revs57]

Not worth the gamble of skimping!

[tigermullet]

Not worth the gamble of skimping!

It certainly is not worth the gamble. Our boat has TWO lifejackets that cost $12.95 EACH.

The boat goes out on smooth waters only and seeing that boating is the safest past-time ever invented, that's about all the safety gear is worth.;D

[Outsider1]

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=260258651573&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=016

On the subject of PFDs'.... would this be a suitable style/price for estruary/smooth water fishing?? I have no intentions of taking my little boat out over any bars any time soon.

The manual inflatables like the one in the link are fine. Easy to wear and you see them being used more and more.

I am going to look at getting some for my boat as well. The only downside is they apparently require regular maintenance on the inflation mechanism (CO2 canister) and must be serviced by an authorised agent. I have heard of boaties being fined for having them with the service ticket being out of date. I need to research this aspect further.

There are automatic inflating versions too, but I am not convinced they are the safest option (Don't want them inflating too early if you are caught under the boat for example!).

Cheers

Dave