Life jackets also get caught on things. So if it’s wide open and free from anything to snag on, great, enjoy the terrifying not-lazy river ride. If there are things to snag on, like I assume the Texas flash floods, then a lifejacket would also be a liability.
I’ve done some downriver rapids canoe/kayak stuff, by no means an expert nor even knowledgeable hobbyist. On a certain river trip, fast-flowing with lots of submerged trees, they had us drill unclipping jackets and wriggling out of them while submerged.
If the water conditions are so bad you would consider a life jacket a liability, you’re just fucked. The debris your jacket could get caught on is the stuff that’ll knock you insensate, and then you drown
Life jackets also get caught on things. So if it’s wide open and free from anything to snag on, great, enjoy the terrifying not-lazy river ride. If there are things to snag on, like I assume the Texas flash floods, then a lifejacket would also be a liability.
I’ve done some downriver rapids canoe/kayak stuff, by no means an expert nor even knowledgeable hobbyist. On a certain river trip, fast-flowing with lots of submerged trees, they had us drill unclipping jackets and wriggling out of them while submerged.
If the water conditions are so bad you would consider a life jacket a liability, you’re just fucked. The debris your jacket could get caught on is the stuff that’ll knock you insensate, and then you drown
If you’re whitewater kayaking, it’s not uncommon to have a knife accessible from your PFD.
It can be used to cut any ropes you might be tangled in or (worse case) cut the PFD.
In general, having a knife with you is useful in most emergency situations (and a throw rope, pin kit, plus knowledge of how to use them).
edit: Oops, this was supposed to be a response for the parent thread.