From Charles Huthmaker:
CT has passed some regs. that directly affect rowing. If you could, post this notice. Thanks.
There have been new state regulations passed that affect us directly.
1. If you row without a coach, you are now required by state law to be WEARING a life jacket of some sort from 10/1 to 5/31. Having it in the boat is not enough.
2. You are exempt from this if you have a coach with you, but coaches are limited to 3 boats each (no size specified).
There are many types of PFD's out there that are wearable by rowers, I suggest that you start with www.westmarine.com and go from there.
Sec. 15-121-A17. Personal flotation devices for [canoes] manually propelled vessels. During the period from October first through May thirty-first all persons aboard a manually propelled vessel shall wear a Type I, II, III, V or V Hybrid United States Coast Guard approved personal flotation device of appropriate size and in serviceable condition. Except as provided in subsection (b) of section 15-121-A13 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, no operator, owner or user of said manually propelled vessel shall allow any person to be aboard who is not wearing such a device.
Sec. 15-121-A13. Personal flotation devices for manually propelled racing vessels.
(b) No person on board a racing shell, rowing scull, racing canoe, or racing kayak shall be required to carry any PFD on board, provided any such vessel shall be accompanied at all times by an escort vessel. Each escort vessel shall accompany no more than three vessels at a time and shall keep the escorted vessels in sight at all times, without the use of artificial devices other than eyeglasses. The requirement to use an escort vessel shall not apply to any organized race event when race organizers have taken steps to provide for the safety of such participants, provided the organizer of such event shall give a written explanation of participant safety provisions to the commissioner at least thirty days in advance of the event, and the commissioner approves such provisions in writing before the event.