Life vests

Gunni · Jun 5, 2016

At 10 years give your inflatable PFDs to the local USCG auxiliary for pool drills. Get the new and best, it is you and your crew's life. Move on.

DAVA390 · Jun 6, 2016

Although we are just river and bay sailors,my wife and I wear inflatables full time. Discharge and repack every other winter.

woodster · Jun 6, 2016

All U Get said:
Good to find out in the tub.

where is the rubber ducky

Parsons · Jun 7, 2016

For a balance of cost versus safety, I like the Mustang Hydrostatic (for about $270 from Defender, link here with harness). It has a small pocket for additional safety gear on the left side, which may be able to fit a smaller smartphone. Two things to look for: (1) Comfort - if you don't like to wear it, you won't. This thing is light and wears easily. (2) Hydrostatic inflation (HIT). This is not the "alka seltzer" tablet that inflates during a rain or on a humid day, but only when submerged. Hydrostatic costs more initially (about $100 more), and to replace the activator (about $40 more), but will save in the long term from false inflation. I have never heard of one going off unless it was submerged (keep me honest, guys). Depending on where you sail and store the vests, I have had my alka seltzer vests go off annually from spray or humid conditions. Also, the HIT vests have a life of five years, not 1 or 2 (?) for the alka seltzer ones. You kept your 10 years and it still inflated?

On a related note, when I fly to charter, I remove the CO2 cartridge to prevent accidental inflation (this is not actually a TSA requirement, which only says "Small Compressed Gas Cartridges: Up to two in life vests and two spares. The spares must accompany the personal flotation device and presented as one unit.") USSailing has a good summary of the various requirements, here: http://www.ussailing.org/traveling-with-your-pfd-tsa-guidelines-prepare-for-takeoff/

MrBill_FLL · Jun 7, 2016

^ we can fly with the co2 cartridges?

I didn't think they were allowed in the cabin or checked luggage. (but last time I needed to fly with one was 2009. )

kloudie1 · Jun 7, 2016

Bill.. yes they are allowed now as in rules noted above

Gunni · Jun 7, 2016

Unpack your inflatable and manually inflate them with the mouth tube until they are hard. Put the inflated PFD aside for 24 hours. Check for any sign of deflation. Inspect your inflators, unscrew the CO2 and inspect seal. Reassemble and Repack.

Those PFD work coats are a one-trick pony. You won't wear them when the weather gets warm and that kind of defeats the safety purpose of a PFD. All the respected inflatables are adjustable to fit over any combination of clothing, or foul weather gear. Get the optional crotch straps, they keep the PFD on your chest and facilitate swimming and climbing back aboard. Fix a knife if you use tethers.

Parsons · Jun 7, 2016

On a related note, does anyone know the reason that the crotch, or leg, straps make the PFD not acceptable for USCG requirements? From the Defender web site for the Mustang leg strap: "Use of this leg strap voids USCG approval" - Is this a real safety concern, or just USCG being bureaucratic (like saying that safety lights must be white)?

Capt jgw · Jun 7, 2016

Makes it too hard to put on. They want it "donnable" while in the water while your clothing and shoes are trying to drag you under. Just try that once with a crotch strap attached.
Ease of use is one of the approval criteria.

jlp0217 · Jun 7, 2016

Capt jgw said:
Makes it too hard to put on. They want it "donnable" while in the water while your clothing and shoes are trying to drag you under. Just try that once with a crotch strap attached.
Ease of use is one of the approval criteria.

Ok, that kind of makes sense in a gvmt sort of way. Guess I will go ahead and get Spinlock vests. I was concerned that they are not USCG approved even though they appear to be much better vests for about the same cost as Mustang. So CG could cite us for not having PFDs in the Dingy (not going to carry the bag of foam PFDs in the dink) even though everyone is wearing one, because we couldn't get it on in the water? Mustangs wouldn't count either if they are not actually being worn, with or without crouch straps.
Ever try to get an inflated inflatable on, not even in water? Its not easy. I don't think it could be done in water, Crotch straps or not.

Gunni · Jun 7, 2016

If you have crotch straps you need to wear the PFD with the straps secured, not carry it. If you want to carry the PFD then remove the crotch strap. The Mustang straps clip off.

Parsons · Jun 8, 2016

Thanks Capt. -- I've never thought about trying to don in the water. Actually, when on the boat, I've never thought it would be off me unless I was below. We're cold water sailors like you, and I don't know how long I'd tread water at 50 degrees.

Capt jgw · Jun 8, 2016

Not long

centerline · Jun 8, 2016

where I live, an inflatable PFD is not considered to be a legal PFD unless it is being worn, so I cannot see how the addition of a crotch strap would make it any less legal.... and if it IS being worn, the crotch strap would only make it a safer device....

the crotch strap on all three of mine has a clip on the end, so after putting it on, you can run the strap between your legs and clip it in the front.... i dont see how a set up like that would make it not a legal device, no more than if you had a tether line hanging from it...

plenny7 · Jun 8, 2016

centerline said:
where I live, an inflatable PFD is not considered to be a legal PFD unless it is being worn, so I cannot see how the addition of a crotch strap would make it any less legal.... and if it IS being worn, the crotch strap would only make it a safer device....

While an inflatable must be worn to be considered a legal PFD, if you have a sufficient quantity of non-inflatable PFDs on board, you would not need to wear the inflatable to be legal. My wife and I have inflatables, but we also have two cheap orange PFDs which keep us legal if we take off our inflatables for any reason.

Capt jgw · Jun 8, 2016

the crotch strap on all three of mine has a clip on the end, so after putting it on, you can run the strap between your legs and clip it in the front.... i dont see how a set up like that would make it not a legal device, no more than if you had a tether line hanging from it...[/QUOTE]

That's where the government beaurocrasy comes in. They don't care about new ways to do things or new technology, once they make a rule they don't change them. Actually the process required is very cumbersome and expensive. Hearings, public comment period and the like. Big government at work.