Larry,

Your point is so well taken.  A lot of people that climb roofs in the rain are now resting peacefully under 6 ft of earth.

THIS NOT ONLY APPLIES TO COMP ROOFS, BUT WOOD AND SLATE AND ASBESTOS AS WELL.

Having been fortunate enough to never have fallen, (as have many comrades) after climbing 5000-15000 roofs,

I  can state unequivocally that I never climbed a wet roof.

And IMHO anyone that does, qualifies for the dumbest thing i ever did award. Usually awarded posthumously.

I use a clipboard with a compartment built in. It also has an attached calculator.  If its raining, I keep my notes inside and write down measurements under the top also use a pencil it won't smear.  I agree hail hits are hard to see on a dark roof when it is wet but if it is light colored and you can see and feel them withought killing yourself (4/12 ranch) go nuts.  Clipboard is available at Wally world for about $10.00.  Also can be used while scoping many outdoor claims that don't involve roofs.

I've climbed on a few Florida roofs in the rain and had no problem scaling their typical 4/12 pitched roofs (wind damage).  I remember one soaking wet 2 story roof (double pull) I climbed in Georgia in 2004 that had an 8/12 pitch (wind damage).  I stayed in the valleys, on the ridges, and had some good shoes.

In Louisiana, I just stayed in the valleys and on the ridges (hail damage) with my porous soled shoes.  So far, I've had no trouble identifying hail damage in the rain since the stones were large enough to scrape the grit from the asphalt backing.  If for some reason I came across a roof that I couldn't locate hail marks, I was ready to return for a fair assessment.  IMHO, rescheduling one appointment is much better than cancelling a whole slate of appointments for another day.  That decision is based on the severity of the storm (Donaldsonville, LA in 2002 was a good storm).

When deciding whether to stay in or go out, I just keep an open mind and use my best judgement depending on the many variables which affect that decision. 

I've had more trouble and near mishaps while on roofs in perfect conditions.  All of my auto accidents (4 fender benders, but no police reports filed)and near misses occurred for me when the driving conditions were great- My driving skills are terrific while there's a torrential downpour at night.  Difficult conditions make my senses much more keen and force me to stay focused and careful.  My point is that when conditions are fine, my carelessness has a greater risk of increasing. 

Hemmingway once said that bravery is just the ability to stifle the imagination and think rationally.  With that said, I refuse to think in absolutes as there are simply too many variables that affect day to day decisions. 

I think Jud has something about making your set inspections. Just think of the duplicate and triplicate work involved. If you have to go back on 20-25% just see how far ahead you are on a rainout. I have never worked one but many old timers have worked a winter hail storm in St. Louis.

This brings up the importance of a pre-inspection telephone scope.  If you have inspections where the insureds report they also have interior water damages, then by all means you might want to keep those appointments....especially when both the Mr & Mrs are working outside the home, and are setting aside a day time appointment to meet with you.  How many times have you found yourself with everyone in this situation wanting you there before 9am, or over noon, or after 530pm?  That just isn't possible to satisfy everyone, so when rainy weather interferred, I always tried to keep select appointments and just did the interior inspections.  The roof could be inspected on a clear day soon after, and the insured did not have to be present.  They generally respected and appreciated that type of arrangement.   And those exterior re-visits are at your discretion and fit to your schedule instead of theirs.  Yep, some duplication of effort, but many times a lot easier than trying to reschedule the whole thing.   The pre-inspection phone scope should also include more than just the damages.   Find out how flexible the insureds are (both working, one at home sometimes/all times, both retired), and your productivity on those rainy days can be increased whether it be staying in for a paperwork day or getting interior inspections out of the way.  We all know how some insured's chattiness can eat up time once you step foot inside the door.

If Larry were my manager, which he isn't nor ever has been, I think life would be pretty good for everyone.  I get the picture that meetings, if at all, would be short... instructions simple and to the point.  That's hard to find anymore, but I have fond memories.  Anyone else? 

Amen Brother