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11.11.09
Controversial Kayak Safety Bill Gains Steam In Massachusetts
A Massachusetts bill,
that many paddlers say is poorly written and would harm kayak lessons,
recently passed the state Senate and is now before the House. The Kayak Safety Bill, filed by state representative William
Strauss (D – Mattapoisett), would require kayakers to wear life
jackets year-round, and to carry a whistle and a compass. It
would also require kayak instructors to have students flip their
kayaks to perform a wet exit before students can go out on the
water to learn other aspects of kayaking. The bill has been
shelved in previous
years, but in October it sprang back to life and passed the Senate
without fanfare.
It has since raised the ire of many
kayakers, who have lit up paddling message boards with complaints and
pleas to help kill the bill. Kayak instructors have said requiring
novices to flip their boat before doing anything else in a kayak could
discourage people from taking lessons.
Paddlers say
requiring a compass on small lakes and ponds makes no sense, when
finding one's way is not a problem. And, they say, many people haven't
been trained in how to use a compass anyway.
Furthermore, they say the bill is poorly
worded and poorly conceived. Paddlers point to the fact the bill
requires Type I, II and III PFDs, despite the fact most whitewater
kayakers wear Type V PFDs, and Type V PFDs are approved by the Coast
Guard for all boaters. The bill oddly applies to enclosed kayaks only,
and not canoes or sit-on-top kayaks. And its wet-exit provision only
applies to water 5-feet or deeper, even though kayaks can tip over in
shallower water, often causing paddlers more difficulty.
Concerned paddlers have asked people to
contact their representatives to express concerns about the bill. |
