With some of the stuff that I have seen on the water... it should be a requirement. That said, I don't want to take it.
Honestly though, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that someone was lost in this fog over the past two days. If you were out in the fog without a gps/compass, you could have ended up at the bank before you figured out where you were. A little class on navigational skills would be helpful for many.