which life jacket

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wayne

I need to upgrade my life jacket as i will be doing some coastal and offshore sailing. I am looking at an inflatable pfd with harness. I know the answers are subjective but please fire away. 1. Should I get one that has a manual automatic switch for inflation as it seems that sometimes if you go overaboard you don't want to inflate right away. 2. Where is the best place to buy one? (Price is not as important as performance so I'm not looking at the cheapest just close to the best product). 3. Any more comfortable than others as I am skinny guy with not much Padding :) Thanks
 
sailortonyb Allied Mis

sailortonyb Allied Mis

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Jun 12, 2004
1,181
Allied Mistress 39 Ketch Kemah,Tx.
Self Inflating

I think self inflating is the way to go for several reasons. If knocked unconsciuos for one thing and also you will know whether it inflates or not right away. If you wait till the last minute and it dont inflate, you will have to then get over the confusion and get your s**t together and self inflate, probably only lose a few seconds, but they could be critical. I can see how your question can lead in the same direction as to whether to wear seat belts in your car or not. Have fun with this one.
 
W

wayne

life jacket

thanks for the headsup, i do not want to turn it into a debate, more important is !!!!! 2. Where is the best place to buy one? (Price is not as important as performance so I'm not looking at the cheapest just close to the best product). 3. Any more comfortable than others as I am skinny guy with not much Padding
 
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mortyd

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Dec 11, 2004
952
Catalina 30 easy living
life vests

i have read that the majority of sailboat drownings were worsened by actual injury. would you buy a manual air bag?
 
sailortonyb Allied Mis

sailortonyb Allied Mis

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Jun 12, 2004
1,181
Allied Mistress 39 Ketch Kemah,Tx.
Important!!!!

Keep in mind, you dont EVER want to don this pfd INSIDE your boat. If your are in a situation that for some reason you feel safer inside the boat, some fast decisions will have to be made...to wear a pfd or to not wear a pfd. If boat sinks faster than you can escape, the pfd (any PFD) can keep you planted to the roof if you start to float upwards. Thats a decision that can only be made on instinct at the time of occurance. I keep regular pfd's inside boat also in case of emergency, i can grab and go. We wear the manual inflating type when i fly on helicopters (i work offshore) and we must wear them when we are flying over water. During our safety training we are told to keep an ink pen in our shirt pocket in case we go down and someone panics and inflates his lifejacket while still inside the chopper, we can stab the inflatile vest to deflate it so he dont float up and block the tiny doors. Obviously, at that point , he is on his own. Of course, this is les likely to happen even on the smallest of boats. I purchased mine at West Marine only because i had those discount coupons. Dont know offhand where else to look, try maybe e-bay or defender.
 
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Calif. Ted

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Jun 8, 2004
2,958
Catalina 320 Dana Point
I got one of each, most times I'll put the auto

on the wife or inexperienced crew on board. When alone I'll don the auto unless it's raining really bad or I'm getting deluged by spray etc. I just don't feel comfortable in an auto in those conditions cause I worry about it going off inappropriate (which could start a whole debate). Point is, some autos can be switched to a manual mode (the costliest ones of course) and this might be a feature you want. Best deal I found was WM when they had them on sale (couple times a year seems like) & had coupons. Defenders was more expensive at that time but check them all. Overton's sometimes has a good price if they carry them, they are more geared towards ski boats but good prices.
 
M

mortyd

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Dec 11, 2004
952
Catalina 30 easy living
life vests

being a vet my pick is for the air force mustang; i had no luck finding any real discount though; nobody is allowed on deck without one.
 
C

Capt Ron;-)

waynes World - lifejackets

Wayne, The importance of life-jacket type/style is not as important as where it is located and "accessable" means, at least as far as the USCG sees it, as OUT of the plastic wrappers that keep them all clean and new looking. The cockpit lockers is accessable. The 'suspenders' inflatable has the added advantage that it doubles as a harness, which will save you life, international-orange "lifejacket" just helps the Coast Guard recover the bodies. Fishing boats in Alaskan waters carry survival suits for each crew. Unless you are in tropical waters, the majority of deaths are not drownings, but due to hypothermia. I carry a wetsuit in a bail-out bag always, the survival suit is much better, but is bery bulky and I found it wouldn't double as a wetsuit it I needed to clear a fouled prop.
 
S

Steve

Inflatables

Spring is a good time to purchase one on sale. Stearns and SOS can generally be found at most marine stores, Bass Pro Shops, Cabelas etc. As rule you can save a least 10%. I'd recommend the auto/manual with the optional manual only capability. Usually the most expensive but it does offer the option to disable the automatic function for those occasions when conditions warrant. Try several manufacturers models on before you purchase one. They do fit differently. Sailing versions have the harness attachment points. Finally, when you decide on one to purchase read the operation instructions and care manual. Self inflating PFD's require much more care and attention over their lifetime. The disolvable tablets/pills do degrade over time, subject to humidity, heat and water. Inspect frequently and keep a re-arming kit onboard at all times. The CO2 cartridges are subject to corrosion, these too must be checked periodically. As a rule they must be worn or accessible (out in plain view), not in a locker unless you have other PFD's on board. They are comfortable, and best of all will perform much like a traditional offshore rated PFD, keeping you face up even if you get knocked out. I've seen automatics sale priced as low as $90 at some of the retail outlets from January through April.
 
P

Paul

Switlick

I like sospenders auto inflatable. Make sure you get the "long" type. I found a Switlick on Ebay that is even more comfortable but does not have auto inflate.
 
Ellis Rogers

Ellis Rogers

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Dec 31, 2004
85
- - Guilford, CT
Sospenders Manual

I use a manual inflater bacause of the reasons mentioned above about getting trapped beneath something. I got mine from Landfall Navigation.
 
Terry Cox

Terry Cox

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Dec 25, 2000
5,941
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
We decided on the Stearns auto inflate...

with built-in harness. I solo sail quite often and the Admiral insists that I wear it whenever I'm on the water underway. They are very comfortable to wear. Pro and con regarding auto versus manual inflate. If you get knocked unconscious during an accidental jibe and end up in the water, the auto feature comes in handy. Ours has never inflated accidentally. Terry
 
Paul J. Rusyniak

Paul J. Rusyniak

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Jan 24, 2008
293
Alerion Express 28 Oneida Lake, NY
Wayne, you're getting loads of good advice

and I'd like to add the suggestion that you check the comfort of the vest where it'll touch the back of your neck, presuming you aren't wearing something with a turned-up collar. We bought a SOS this summer for my Wife and returned it immediately because it would have rubbed her neck raw. We then bought a Mustang and she's been very satisfied with it. Paul s/v The Lord Nelson
 
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