I currently wear a pfd while operating my boat.
When I am anchored or drifting I will remove it. I always wear it when I am running Superior, Huron or St Mary's River or with my kids(I tether myslef to the killswitch when with the kids too)
Here is why
People believe they know the waterways to well and trust that there are no new dangers since there last passage. A deadhead can toss you out of a boat quite easily and should you hit your head on the way out, or break a limb etc on the way in, your ability to swim/ tread water will be greatly reduced or non existant.
Futhermore, on my lifejacket I have a few survival items. Waterproof matches, whistle, little jackknife, wool touque! Should I not get rescued immediately, I have the very basics that may mean the difference between life and death. Lifejackets are very warm when thats all you got! Swimming with a PFD on is quite easy...either kick or use your arms...You can tread water for a long time with a PFD on.
Having some experience in SAR I can tell you that spotting a lifejacket from a spotters seat in a Herc is alot easier then plain clothes.
God forbid anyone dies outthere but here is a general idea of what goes on when a boater goes missing
A call comes into the OPP/City Police
They notify CFB Trenton (Military)
The police dispatch cruisers, boats, sar manpower, support vehicles
atvs, helicopters, scene commanders, fire depts, mnr etc (your $$$$$ at work)
All these people have to eat, may need accomdations, travel etc. All the vehicles need fuel/breakdowns etc
CFB Trenton dispatches a Herc Spotter plane and a helicopter to the area
(your $$$$ at work)
If there is a volunteer SAR organization in the area they too will be dispatched. Although they are volunteers and there time is not paid, there is still great costs associated in running these organizations
The police/trenton will begin a water search aswell as a perimeter search of the lake. In search of the boat, people, desbris, basically anything they can to have a starting point.
If they are unsuccessful at locating anyone on the surface, they will dispatch a USRU team. Specially trained police officers who will comb the depths of the lake until your body is found or the search area has been exhausted. This could go one for days and days$$$
So once your body is found, then a coroner is disopatched to confirm the death (legality)$$$ An autopsy is done($) and so forth goes the funeral etc $
Each case is totally different, but you can easily see how quickly the $$$ adds up.
Will a lifejacket completely stop these incidents from happening...Of course not. (People in seatbelts still die too) Will it reduce the number of drownings on our lakes...for sure
My long 2 cents
To each his own
or tiptoe through some tulips