> I don't know if he thinks that people will see the ad and then go buy a kayak and jump in the water without having done any research or gotten any guidance about kayaking

I think he does, and I absolutely agree with him. I think the average person is much less likely to do research about stuff than you think, especially when the advertisements take such a casual tone and are completely devoid of any safety considerations whatsoever. It very much seems marketed towards affluent, casual users who are likely ignorant to the specific dangers of cold water.