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PFDs and Rowing
April 06, 2011
Do you need to have a PFD in your shell?
Every couple months the USRowing Safety Committee gets emails or we see threads in online chat groups about PFDs and rowing shells. It is important to know the law, so that you can make informed choices and stay out of trouble. We are also concerned about safety, whether or not the law demands you wear one.
Rowing shells, as well as racing canoes and kayaks, have a PFD exemption while rowing on water designated “navigable” by the United States Coast Guard. All other bodies of water are under state jurisdiction. The exemption is only for those bodies of water that (by loose definition) have, had or may have, commercial traffic.
In many areas, this is pretty obvious. You can see commercial traffic. But there are other places, like up-river beyond two dams, that have not seen commercial traffic for 100 years, yet can still qualify as “navigable” because at one time, there was commercial traffic. Pretty difficult to determine.
All other water is controlled by the state and you will need to check local laws concerning whether to carry a PFD with you. These laws apply equally to singles or eights, even if you are with a coaching launch. There are many rowing programs that row without PFDs on state-controlled bodies of water because the local law enforcement officers generally ignore the law.
As long as you or your crews are operating in a safe manner, you probably won’t get cited. The USCG-appointed Captain of the Port has designated every body of water as navigable, or not navigable. He or she directs U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement activities within a designated area of responsibility and maintains a list of which bodies of water are considered navigable. Some of these listings are online, but are difficult to find. You may have to contact your regional USCG office to get the information about your specific body of water.
So what to do? Our recommendations:
Every single sculler on the water without a coaching launch should have a PFD in the boat and a cell phone in a waterproof bag.
The coaching launch should have a PFD for everyone under supervision and everyone in the launch (especially the coach), should be wearing a PFD. If you have a rower who did not pass a swim test, that rower should always wear a PFD.
There are a lot of options for PFDs – some which are compatible for wearing while rowing or for stowing behind the footboards. They come in various sizes and can be activated manually or hydrostatically. The hydrostatic vests don’t inflate until they are submerged, so rain and splashing won’t set them off. The other option is the manual inflation vest or pouch. Below are links to a few options.
Over the past two years, we have spoken to a handful of U.S. Coast Guard and boating safety organizations about the safety programs that USRowing has in place. The reception is usually very positive, but there are usually a few people in the audience that want a PFD on every rower under all circumstances.
They see rowing as a disaster waiting to happen. As a rowing community, we need to make sure we are operating in a very safe manner, for the obvious reasons of safety, but also to show that rowers can be safe and that the sport does not require more restrictions.
So even if you feel that you are operating at a very high level of safety, the water safety officers see all the potential for problems. We need to see our sport through their eyes and have solid safety procedures and policies in place at every boathouse.
Row Safe.
Row Smart.
USRowing Safety Committee
Margot Zalkind, Chair
Casey Baker
Matt Lacey
Rachel LeMieux
Steve Marshall
John White
Willie Black, USRowing staff liaison
Willie Black
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