In case you have a submersible!

[JapanRon]

Hey there TubeDude and gang,

Good news for us in California according to authorities. As cited in the 2003 regulations, If you have and are operating a submersible (hey, somebody might make a submarine float tube) you will not have to be wearing a PFD when submerged.

Boy, I'm glad they've lightened up on that one huh?!

Just adding a little sunshine for you guys still ice fishing.

JapanRon
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[ssor]

I am glad they did not reverce that. It might be a slight bit dificult to sobmerge with a PFD on.

Now when are they going to make desent laws insted of obvious items like that?
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[TubeDude]

[cool]Yeah, right. If I am going to be able to afford a submersible craft, I am going to have to go on strike for longer hours and less pay. Makes about as much sense.

Actually, the first commercially made flotation craft I bought was a submersible. Didn't start out that way, but that's how it ended it's days.

Back in about 1973 or 4, in Napa, California, I walked into a sporting goods outlet...as I am compelled to do whenever I see one. On the wall was a pale green molded plastic "float tube". I had been making my own float tube covers for several years and could never figure out why some manufacturer didn't put out a good one. NOW...here was something even better.

I spent good money that I couldn't really afford, from the family budget, and took my new toy home. It had been made by heat welding the edges of two halves of the premolded plastic. The top half had indentations for a drink can, a rod handle and a small lure box. Wow! Modern technology. The seat was kind of a contoured "tractor seat" design, which turned out to be quite comfortable and funtional.

I took it afloat on several central California ponds, near my home in Sacramento. I weighed a few (quite a few) pounds less than I do these days, so I fit in it okay and it floated my carcass without taking water over the bow.

I moved to Salt Lake in the mid 70's and discovered one of the new (at that time) FishMaster float tubes. It had a plasticized cloth cover, pockets, metal zippers and a seat with a quick release crotch strap. UPGRADE TIME.

My hard sided donut was banished to a hanger in the garage. But, one warm spring day I took it down, on a whim, deciding to take a trip down memory lane and to go fish for crappies on Willard Bay Reservoir. I launched successfully and started kicking my way out to go fishing. Then, I heard the sound all tubers hope they never hear...the sound of bubbles escaping. Simultaneously I noticed I was not floating as high as I should be.

The heat welded seam around the center of the tube had cracked. Maybe it was being dropped a couple of times during a move that the pale green craft did not appreciate. At any rate, while I was frantically kicking my way back to shallow water, the seam split even wider and I was suddenly standing in water up to my waist.

I didn't lose any tackle, and the only thing injured was my dignity. Unlike most of my subsequent craft, I didn't have anything strapped to this one, so I just stepped out of it and left it for salvage.

Over the years I have had spiny fishies put pinholes in my air chambers, and force a premature end to a fishing trip. But, I have never had a craft suddenly deflate and leave me "walking". That could ruin your day if you were a long way offshore.

The potential for unplanned deflation is a good argument for not using gaffs, keeping sharp knives out of your craft and always wearing a PFD. In a worst case scenario, you might lose some tackle. But, no matter how much it costs, or how attached to it you are, it's better to save yourself and replace the lost gear. Although, I have a couple of outfits I might have to think twice about letting go of...if it was me or them.

SUBMERSIBLES? Nah. I don't think so.
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