colors - Canoeing / Kayaking

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colors
Posted by: wavetamer on Jun-27-12 10:51 AM (EST)

Hi Cliff, nice article on consideration of colors of gear. I did a piece a while back on the best colors for a kayak and found some interesting studies by the Coast Guard in which they said while red is a good, bright daylight color it is not a good color as light grows weaker - and sometimes at great distances over water. A great color for sighting from the air according to a USCG rescue pilot: Robin's egg blue! The bright colored PFD has always been a priority with me.
I feel that patterns that compete with the background are as important or more than the color choice. I always suggest that people buy gear with signaling/flagging options when they decide upon color.

Have a great paddling summer. Tom Watson

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colors - wavetamer - Jun-27-12 10:51 AM
- Same page - cliffjacobson - Jun-29-12 10:49 PM
- since 99% of my paddling - rikjohnson - Aug-01-12 1:03 PM

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  Same page
  Posted by: cliffjacobson on Jun-29-12 10:49 PM (EST)

Thanks for your wisdom, Tom. We are both on exactly the same page.
Best,
Cliff

  since 99% of my paddling
  Posted by: rikjohnson on Aug-01-12 1:03 PM (EST)

is a weekend trip on a busy Arizona river or lake, being seen by a rescue chopper is not a situation I should consider.
Being run over by some college kid on a speedboat that he revs up to impress his girlfriend is.

So when I get run down or barely missed (a regular occurance in Arizona) by a speedboat or jetski, I don't want that kid to tell the sheriff, "He was in a green kayak that was below wave height wearing a camo PFD so of course I couldn't see him."

I want to tell that cop and judge, "My daughter and i were in bright orange and yellow kayaks, wearing bright PFDs waving white-bladed paddles and we even had a bicycle-flag mounted to the stern of the boats. How could he miss us?"

	Same page Posted by: cliffjacobson on Jun-29-12 10:49 PM (EST)
	Thanks for your wisdom, Tom. We are both on exactly the same page. Best, Cliff

	since 99% of my paddling Posted by: rikjohnson on Aug-01-12 1:03 PM (EST)
	is a weekend trip on a busy Arizona river or lake, being seen by a rescue chopper is not a situation I should consider. Being run over by some college kid on a speedboat that he revs up to impress his girlfriend is. So when I get run down or barely missed (a regular occurance in Arizona) by a speedboat or jetski, I don't want that kid to tell the sheriff, "He was in a green kayak that was below wave height wearing a camo PFD so of course I couldn't see him." I want to tell that cop and judge, "My daughter and i were in bright orange and yellow kayaks, wearing bright PFDs waving white-bladed paddles and we even had a bicycle-flag mounted to the stern of the boats. How could he miss us?"