type 5 pfd maintenance?

RussC

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Sep 11, 2015
1,578
Merit 22- Oregon lakes
I've had my type 5 pfds for a couple years now. having never "deployed" it, I decided to test it out before replacing the cartridge a couple days ago so I fell in the lake with it on first. after a brief few seconds after I hit the water it went off with a bang, but only one side popped the velcro loose to fully deploy. I had to tug on the cover for a wile to get the other side to finally pop open as well. I was surprised at how powerful the opening of these things is, and how tight the bladder gets inflated. there's some serious power there. the buoyancy was excellent, even when just one side was fully deployed, but it got me thinking later...... it seems like I read somewhere that you're suppose to release the velcro once in a wile on these things to keep it from getting to grippy, causing a partial deployment like I had. does anyone else recall that, or have similar experience with them. mine is an Onyx 24 btw.
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Ward H

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Nov 7, 2011
3,645
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
I brought our two Mustang PFDs home about a month ago for their 5 year service, which includes new re-arming kits. My wife and I each donned our PFD and pulled the manual trip handle.
They did open with a loud pop, dogs ran into the other room.
Our Mustangs use a zipper to enclose the bladder and that popped right open.
Installing the re-arming kit and re-packing was much easier than I expected.
 

RussC

.
Sep 11, 2015
1,578
Merit 22- Oregon lakes
I brought our two Mustang PFDs home about a month ago for their 5 year service, which includes new re-arming kits. My wife and I each donned our PFD and pulled the manual trip handle.
They did open with a loud pop, dogs ran into the other room.
Our Mustangs use a zipper to enclose the bladder and that popped right open.
Installing the re-arming kit and re-packing was much easier than I expected.
I standard looking zipper? not a velcro zipper? huuummm. interesting.
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
The Mustangs use a YKK coil zipper. They open much easier than velcro. Every year I inflate the vest manually and leave them for 24 hours. If there is a leak, I"ll know it. At the end of the 5th season when it is time to renew the actuator, we don the vests and jump in the water. A good reminder of how these work. When they inflate they inflate quickly!
 

AaronD

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Aug 10, 2014
723
Catalina 22 9874 Newberg, OR / Olympia, WA
The Mustangs use a YKK coil zipper. They open much easier than velcro. Every year I inflate the vest manually and leave them for 24 hours. If there is a leak, I"ll know it. At the end of the 5th season when it is time to renew the actuator, we don the vests and jump in the water. A good reminder of how these work. When they inflate they inflate quickly!
To clarify - at least on our Mustangs, there's a small (~2") velcro strip, and the zipper is intentionally set so it would 'peel' open (like an aging zipper does if it a tooth fails to engage). The velcro keeps it from peeling during normal wear, but the short velcro pops open easily when needed, allowing the zipper to peel open from there. Seems like a really well engineered system. And yes, rearming was easier than I'd have expected.
 
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Likes: RussC
Feb 1, 2011
10
Catalina Macgregor Hunter 14.2, 26CB , 33 Cherubini Stuart
The Mustangs use a YKK coil zipper. They open much easier than velcro. Every year I inflate the vest manually and leave them for 24 hours. If there is a leak, I"ll know it. At the end of the 5th season when it is time to renew the actuator, we don the vests and jump in the water. A good reminder of how these work. When they inflate they inflate quickly!
We also test yearly and before any big trip. We inflate manually and check for 24 hours. Our inflatables have a check log inside to record the test dates. I vaguely remember it being a manufacturers suggestion.
Regards
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
We have older type 5 pfd's. I too inflate yearly and leave for at least 24 hours to check for leaks. However, the bobbins also require regular inspection. I've had Mustang reps at boat shows tell me the bobbins should be replaced annually although their website says 2 month inspections. You don't need the full re-arm kits.
https://www.mustangsurvival.com/en_CA/html-module/pfd-inspection-maintenance.html
The bobbins can be an issue. I had an old SOSpenders vest where the bobbin slowly dissolved, letting the pin slowly puncture the seal on the CO2 cartridge, this allowed the CO2 to escape without out inflating the vest. :(

Then there was the day I was driving home after sailing through a thunderstorm. Driving along at 65 mph, the moisture in the foul weather gear and vest dissolved the bobbin. Imagine my surprise when the vest sitting next to me suddenly inflated. :yikes:

After those experiences, I went with a hydrostatic valve.