Do you use your boat's kill switch lanyard?

[Volffas]

While cleaning my boat yesterday I noticed the kill switch lanyard laying there next to my driver's seat and wondered if I am the only one to never use it?

 

[96Pirate]

I have not done any wild stuff yet with her because I have always had younger kids on board. Whenever I have a chance to go out without them I may try some things and will then wear it.

 

[Scottintexas]

Normally no,
if I'm boating with the kids and only my smallest is in the boat with me while towing the others or no one else is capable of driving/stopping the boat or any sort of dangerous conditions, weather, lots of traffic I will wear it.

I took my olderst daughter out by ourselves last week and had to go over the whole safety review, If I become unconscious, 1. stop the boat 2. throw the anchor 3.call 911 4. get the air horn to signal other boats nearby 5. now help me!!

 

[Kevin107]

If we are going fast or there are a lot of kids in the boat then I attached it on my jacket.

 

[maboat]

 

[Scottintexas]

can never watch that one to much!

 

[davel501]

It is the law where I live that you have to use it so I hook it to itself and put it around my wrist. I wave to the water cops with that wrist so that hopefully they will know it is not worth the hassle of a safety inspection. When I am out by myself I wear an automatic PFD and clip the lanyard to the ring on the PFD.

I also use the lanyard to remind me to put the cleanout plugs in. I hook it to the ring in the cleanout area that the plug leashes hook to. That way the boat will not start if the plugs are not in.

 

[RightStuff]

can never watch that one to much!

It's kinda sick to think this, but ever since I first saw that I have wanted to see a view from outside the boat to see what it looked like from afar...

 

[maboat]

I suspect he wears a lanyard now.

 

[RightStuff]

I suspect he wears a lanyard now.

Strongly doubt it...

 

[Venkman]

I have never wore it in the yamaha. In the bass boat I had before I never drove the boat without it. I thought then it was a real possibility of being thrown from the boat. I would wear it in the yamaha if there was serious weather conditions or a heavy traffic event, yet to happen

 

[jcyamaharider]

Normally no,
if I'm boating with the kids and only my smallest is in the boat with me while towing the others or no one else is capable of driving/stopping the boat or any sort of dangerous conditions, weather, lots of traffic I will wear it.

I took my olderst daughter out by ourselves last week and had to go over the whole safety review, If I become unconscious, 1. stop the boat 2. throw the anchor 3.call 911 4. get the air horn to signal other boats nearby 5. now help me!!

That is actually a really good list and something I am going to go over with the wife and the daughters. Thanks @Scottintexas

 

[0627Devildog]

That is actually a really good list and something I am going to go over with the wife and the daughters. Thanks @Scottintexas

+1

 

[Speedling]

I am a sometimes.
I have gotten caught on the water with my kids when a horrible storm popped up. Waves were crashing over sides and i had to get on plane to stay above them. If i got thrown no one else knew how to drive. I wore it then and wear it a bit more now.

 

[sysinu]

nope, never have on this boat or on any of my other boats. On a jetski I do though. In fact, I usually rubber band my lanyard up so it doesn't get in the way of things.

 

[jdonalds]

I've never used the lanyard. But I thought about it recently. Since we went finless I was blown away by how violently the boat will do a 180 at 35mph. If I do the spin to the left I'll get pushed up against the window on my right shoulder. If I do it to the right there is nothing to keep me from falling over (like the guy in that video above). So if I plan to do any right 180s I may use the lanyard from now on.

 

[soggyshoes]

I would recommend keeping an extra kill switch clip in your boat. On my fishing boat the lanyard accidentally got pulled and when it pulled the clip out, it broke. It was a long trip back to the ramp having to hold the thing just right with a Leatherman tool.
Those clips are plastic and plastic can get weak and brittle when it gets old.

 

[Britboater]

As with most, at no wake, obviously I don't wear the lanyard, but as soon as I'm on the plane I do. We had a tragic accident here when a family lost there Dad and one Daughter when the boat hit a freak wave and threw them out of the boat, only for it to circle and hit them at open throttle.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-27932418

On another note, I did wear the lanyard cord around my wrist, but then I noticed the metal had scratched the grey gel coat next to the throttle .

 

[biglar155]

I wear mine all the time. I clip in once we're away from the dock and have all moorings and fenders stowed - which my wife and daughter typically handle anyway.

I figure it's not that big of a deal to clip it on and then I don't have to remember to clip it on if things get hairy.

Until you get used to wearing it all the time, you'll probably shut yourself down once or twice, but I haven't done that in a while now.

 

[Dave P]

If I'm by my self. I wear my life jacket and use the lanyard. Otherwise never.