The "need to be seen"...and it ain't about ego.

Normally, I would never suggest that "it's all about being seen" - that does sound just a little, well, egocentric.

Perhaps it's shyness or a degree of introversion, but the idea of attracting undue attention to myself is something not normally entertained. Indeed, I even spent a meaningful number of years in my vocation with an agency that not only provided unique clothing for the purpose of "blending" with the environment, but provided some very useful instruction in the art and craft of actually "evading" unwanted attention! I remember well, while on exercise in a thickly forested training area in northern Europe, I once was so successful in ensuring that my designated vehicle was properly camouflaged, that it was quite possibly only by a stroke of good luck that we actually found it again! Yup, there was a bit of good-natured ribbing over that one.

Having said that, there are times when we should probably do all that we can to be "seen".

I've previously shared some thoughts here about visibility on the water and the clear advantages of reflective and highly visible materials on both kayaks and clothing. Increasingly however, there are kayaks on the water that are not so easy to spot and paddlers whose PFDs and clothing blend all too well with the water. Some of these boats look incredibly cool but, again, they are not easy to see and I'm not so sure that's a good thing. It becomes an issue when you are sharing the waters with larger, often very powerful boats, with drivers who may not be looking for us or who are distracted for any number of reasons. The idea of sea kayakers being referred to, by the Coast Guard, as potential "speed bumps" does not engender confidence!

When Joan and I launch from home, we usually head out across a piece of water that can be completely deserted or, on some days, quite busy with marine traffic - anything from outboard runabouts, cabin cruisers, sailboats, a tug towing log booms, and the occasional Canadian navy Orca class patrol boat. From the perspective of the paddler, all can come out of seemingly nowhere and be on you with impressive speed. When the paddler's "centre of mass" is just a metre above sea level that can be a bit of a problem, especially if we are difficult to see.

I will admit that our kayaks both look a little like someone lost control with a roll of reflective tape but we know there's a good chance that we'll be seen in the event of any need to be "found" at night. PFDs and paddling jackets provide a "splash" of mango or red in the day time. Our kayaks are yellow and "mint" (think '56 Chevy "robin's egg blue") - they can't be confused with very much in nature. In some ways, the colours may look a little dated but, for us, the important thing is that there's a good chance we'll be seen. And honestly, it ain't about ego. :-)

Just seems like a good idea.

Duncan.