Negligent Operations... seriously!?!?

[stoneaxe]

Good point....I've been meaning to get one....I know it would make my wife happier. I think she would like to see me in a full body PFD with a SPOT device....except when she's mad at me....

[yugi]

Great points.

[TallDude]

Great points.

You mean if your wife is mad at you, you can tell the Coast Guard and they will let you slide on all the rules?

[stoneaxe]

That was very PDXlike of you TD...well done....

[Board Stiff]

This is the Bluetooth-enabled VHF Radio I carry while downwinding. I stash it in a fanny pack (yep - one of those..) and keep my iPhone in a waterproof case. You can make or receive calls on it and if you really are in trouble you can use the emergency band. I've yet to be stopped by the CG but can imagine that having it might dissuade them from thinking you're unprepared to be on the water. 
https://www.cobra.com/products/handheld/mr-hh500-flt-bt

Thanks for the recommendation. That looks like it would be pretty handy in a real emergency at sea.

[Weeble]

In SE Florida, the Fort Lauderdale area mainly, we have a LOT of paddle area due to the intra-coastal waterway, plus the hundreds of canals that come off of it.  It makes for interesting loops that you can make for training, or touring and seeing all the big fancy houses, hotels, etc.  there's also a lot of boat traffic, and big boat traffic in some sections, so you can get some wild rides in the areas with high seawalls and lots of boats slopping it up.  Anyway, in the Fort Lauderdale area, the waterways are patrolled by the Fort Lauderdale police.  They are usually very cool, look out for us, sometimes check us to see if we need water or if we've been harassed by boaters and they've even chased down some and ticketed them when they've seen it happen.  Our local guys are pretty cool.  Now, if we go south into the next city, Hollywood, the country sheriff patrols the waterways.  Those guys, are real jerks.  We've even had one, in a very wide area of the intra-coastal where paddlers can stay way outside of the marked channel, actually swoop out of the chanel, pick up speed and swamp us.  That time we all had to drop to seat positions and get our legs in the water to slow us down because he was putting us right into the sea wall.  It was the only way to stop the boards fast.  So, we watch for that guy.  Usually easy to spot when he's on duty as he has the porn stache' and wears mirrored aviators.....

[Zooport]

he has the porn stache' and wears mirrored aviators.....

The stereotypical jerk look. 

[TallDude]

he has the porn stache' and wears mirrored aviators.....

The stereotypical jerk look.

This is the guy!

[yugi]

There are jerks in every country.

Usually they are attracted to land. On water they are typically outliers.