When I was serving in the Coast Guard I had countless search and rescue cases involving people in the water and lost vessels of various sizes. The most challenging cases involved locating boats and people in the water that were the color of white-caps or were the color of the water. The more you or your boat looks like the water or the seas, the less you will stand out and therefor the less likely you will be seen by rescuers. I served on 41’ vessels and various aircraft so I speak from personal experience. A paddler from yesterday’s State Championship race got separated from his boat and although the safety vessel knew he was in the vicinity, it took three passes to find him due to the 10 foot seas and the paddler wearing a blue shirt. With only a few moments between crest and trough for a line of sight, if you do not stand out it will take longer to find you.
My surfski is a bright color and I usually wear a bright shirt for races and training. Does anyone have similar concerns about improving their visibility in case they have a really bad day?
Ray
