I dont even......

Idiots

I think there needs to be a serious media ad campain before & during the holidays. Maybe kayakers should have to do a safety course to own a yak, (not a license).... and install a fine for using a yak without doing one.....no point in a license, you can't license stupid.

Jenko wrote:I think there needs to be a serious media ad campain before & during the holidays..

+1
The biggest issue is not people flouting the law, but sheer ignorance of just how risky it is. After all it is still relatively new

Cant enforce anything to own a yak if its not registered to anyone in particular.

I think one of the biggest issues is the inability to reenter, even with the right gear

All this talk of licensing and registration etc. is totally misplaced. The Victorian Boat licence has absolutely nothing to do with safety. The first boat license I had was in Queensland at the age of 15. A one off fee of I think $25.00. I had to do not only a theory exam but also a boat handling practical assessment as well. I had to be able to put my boat alongside a jetty without hitting too hard and leave a jetty without pushing off or scraping. I had to steer a steer a compass course and complete a man overboard drill. There were other things as well but it was 40 years ago. In short I had to know how to operate my boat safely before I was allowed on the water......That license is still valid today....Those of you who have sat for a Victorian license can vouch for the fact that you don,t even need to have sat in a boat or PWC to get your license in this state let alone have any idea how to use it safely and for that you pay an annual fee. As with most of these things education is the answer not regulation.
Just my 2 cents.

spider25160 wrote:Those of you who have sat for a Victorian license can vouch for the fact that you don,t even need to have sat in a boat or PWC to get your license in this state let alone have any idea how to use it safely and for that you pay an annual fee. As with most of these things education is the answer not regulation.
Just my 2 cents.

I have to agree - I sat for my boat licence some years back , I never had to drive , launch or do any on water activities

I also have never driven a boat since getting it

Perhaps we can come up with some demonstration videos, a booklet (pdf) and urge the ebay'ers and bcf etc to give this information to the person buying the yak.

While we can't make people read information, showing what happens when you don't have a pfd... go out in bad weather etc might actually help them...

What would also be a good idea might be a site that is a green, amber, red light system for going out.... green would be days with less than 5kts an no changes scheduled... amber might be <10 kts with small changes and red would be anything else..... someone would need to maintain it and I'm not putting my hand up, but newbies don't understand what bad weather and inexperience combine to equal.

hammertym wrote:
What would also be a good idea might be a site that is a green, amber, red light system for going out.... green would be days with less than 5kts an no changes scheduled... amber might be <10 kts with small changes and red would be anything else..... someone would need to maintain it and I'm not putting my hand up, but newbies don't understand what bad weather and inexperience combine to equal.

The problem with this kind of legislation is that it also prevents the well prepared and well experienced from the freedom to enjoy their sport/activity.

hammertym wrote:Perhaps we can come up with some demonstration videos, a booklet (pdf) and urge the ebay'ers and bcf etc to give this information to the person buying the yak.

While we can't make people read information, showing what happens when you don't have a pfd... go out in bad weather etc might actually help them...

They are in the business of seller kayaks not scaring buyers off. If they are happy to call a 3m kayak an "ocean" kayak.then i dont think you have a rats chance without legislation

hammertym wrote: What would also be a good idea might be a site that is a green, amber, red light system for going out.... green would be days with less than 5kts an no changes scheduled... amber might be <10 kts with small changes and red would be anything else..... someone would need to maintain it and I'm not putting my hand up, but newbies don't understand what bad weather and inexperience combine to equal.

Not as simple as that every location is different, and varies hour by hour

THANKS for the comments, but at the end of the day, if its not kayakers, its these new stand up paddle boards that l also see toooo far off shore with people that cant even stand up on them, this happened the same day, where would you stop licensing, boggy boards, had to rescue plenty of them when surfing.
might have to spend less time out at popular spots