this post was submitted on 25 Jul 2025
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I am surely not a swimmer, but after the recent tragic flooding in Texas, it got me and my roommate wondering...

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[–] Vanth@reddthat.com 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

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.

[–] Ioughttamow@fedia.io 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

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

[–] LedgeDrop@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

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.