Weekend on floats

Tip: The U.S. Coast Guard requires personal flotation devices to be carried on the aircraft. Choose a life vest that doesn't inflate automatically when it comes in contact with water, because that could make egress more difficult in the event of capsizing.

Being belly down on a Cessna 180's straight float, fishing a screwdriver out of a lake in northern Alaska, leaves a lasting impression as a lesson learned the hard way: If it (whatever “it” is) is not physically attached to you, zipped or strapped in a pocket, or connected to a float—whatever you have on your person or in the cockpit could slip or fall and sink into the water, turning an adventure into a predicament. That's true whether scrambling onto the float to dock, or as in my case, helping with an oil change.

That's why my favorite seaplane accessory is a jacket with zipper pockets (a fishing vest works in summer—see slideshow below). As long as I don't fall in the water, my cellphone, small wallet, sunglasses, and anything else I stash in there won't get wet.

Speaking of falling in, I wear shoes with traction so that I don't slip on wet floats. Quick-drying clothes are convenient—particularly pants that roll up or zip off around the knee for wading through shallow water. Pack extra clothing or gear that's going in a float compartment in a dry bag, because the compartments leak.

Sunglasses are another key item. Forget the polarized/nonpolarized debate; wear specs that cut the sun's glare on the water.

Check out more in the 2018 AOPA Gear Guide.