You’ll only find the “best” PFD by trying as many as you can. Safety wise, all of the PFDs made by reputable manufacturers (Kokatat, NRS, Stohlquist, Astral, etc.) are pretty much the same. The differences include how many pockets and where they are, where the flotation is, how easy it is to don and doff, and of course - the most important thing - how it fits you. It also depends on what you intend to carry with you. A whistle is mandatory and doesn’t take much room, but I also carry a knife, and I frequently take along a marine radio as well as a cellphone in a waterproof (“Lifeproof”) case, so I’m usually wearing a Kokatat Bahia Tour, but I also use a much simpler NRS Ninja, especially in really hot weather. My wife prefers the simplest PFD she could find, in her case an Astral. Women’s specific designs are a really good idea too.
Venture Easkys are very capable boats and a good choice for a beginning, but serious, kayaker. With bow and stern sealed hatches so you really don’t need extra flotation. Before buying up every single accessory you think you’ll ever need I’d suggest that you both take a few classes. Take a basic introductory class to get your paddling strokes sorted out and take a self-rescue class. Then you’ll know what works for you and what doesn’t.
Finally, don’t skimp on paddles. A quality lightweight carbon paddle like a Lendal or a Werner makes kayaking a lot more fun.
Make sure you try it on sitting in your boat. I got a NRS that has a mesh back with flotation on the upper back. Vests with padding in the back against the seat back were not comfortable regardless of the make or model.
There is not best that is universal. It has to fit properly and you have to be so comfortable that you will always wear it and feel naked in the boat if you are not wearing it.
Don’t be a statistic. We added another today. Two men and an eight year old in a canoe yesterday that overturned . The father had turned around to make sure his son in the middle had his PFD adjusted correctly. Over they went. One man and the child were saved.
Maine Warden Service divers are out again looking for the father’s body.
In a normal time, I would be piling all in on recommending that you get to a shop and try on as many PFDs as possible. Find the most comfortable one that meets your need, so you are sure to wear it. I usually tell people to go to a shop and try one on and then walk around an shop for other stuff while wearing it. Maybe try sitting in kayaks, if you can. You want one that is so comfortable that you forget you are wearing it. Maybe with the slight easing of the CA shelter in place orders which are allowing more retailers to open you could have the opportunity to try on some.
In general, you want a Type III PFD. They all have the same basic specs (amount of flotation and the like). Comfort and pockets are 2 of the areas you start seeing variations.
Rescue PFDs were mentioned. These are Class V and come with some additional flotation (needed in extreme cases of white water where the water is highly aerated, which reduces the ability of PFDs to float) and buckles for quick releases for throw/tow lines. These really are meant for the pros/guides, and not something a regular person would get any benefit from. Basically, you would be paying more money for features you don’t really need. I’d stick to Type III pfds.
I have owned quite a few PFDs over the years. Of those, my favorite by far has been the Astral Green Jacket. Part of that is due to comfort. The articulated front foam panels are much more comfortable than one monolithic foam block.
If you don’t need the quick release rescue belt feature you might prefer the Astral Blue Jacket. My Astral Green Jacket is quite a few years old. I don’t know if overall quality has changed.
If you turn out to be a paddler like me and a lot of others, you likely will accumulate a bunch of pfd’s I do have one that I wear more than the others (a rescue jacket), but it sort of depends on which boat I’m using and somewhat on how warm it is. When it’s hot, a big rescue jacket could get pretty warm. The NRS Ninja works good for hot.
I guess you didn’t read my post, where I mentioned pockets.
And the number and placement of pockets needs to be weighed against how easy it is to get back in your boat after a capsize. An oversized or stuffed center pocket can really get in the way of a reentry via the rear deck.
Congrats on thinking safety first! Your two options listed are both fantastic, however both are rescue oriented PFDs. If you plan on lots of WW, you cannot go wrong with either. My guess is that the Astral Green Jacket will be more comfy than the NRS Zen.
As for me, I have owned and worn off and on a Zen along with another discontinued NRS PFD for about 5 years. Since I am not a WW paddler, I looked at the Astral Blue Jacket for open water kayaking. It is the most comfy PFD imagined. Lots of storage space and it flexes to make it so comfortable. Highly recommend the Blue Jacket. Only drawback for me is it does not have a dedicated VHF pocket though it does fit in the big storage area - and my VHF is over 15 yrs old so it is not tiny like the modern ones.
This thread got me looking at PFDs. I ran across this and it LOOKS really nice on my computer screen. Can only hope it’s as comfortable as it looks. Well,JPete4985, since you’re into safety you’ll be learning to brace and roll your kayaks and this looks like the ideal design for that. I’d try one on for sure if I was in the market.
You have gotten good suggestions here – yes there is a quality difference amongst the brands and the materials, design and assembly seems to be best in Astral, Kokatat and NRS. Most expensive is not “best” for any particular user. As has been remarked, the more costly vests tend to have the specialized accessories that guides and instructors need, like a belt for towing a disabled boater and excess pockets to carry EPIRB, radio, etc. Not needed for what you will be doing.
Once you have narrowed your style choice, fit is critical. I happen to love Astral and have 4 different models from them now. The V8 is my choice for hot weather as it is the best ventilated PFD I have ever used (a lot of people who paddle in hot climates seem to prefer it for that reason). I also have an Astral Camino for cold weather (thicker and warmer with a little more flotation and more pockets), an Abba for comfort on long days (it has the softer encapsulated kapok flotation rather than foam) and a low profile YTV for white water. I have also had PFD’s from Lotus, MTI, Extrasport, Stohlquist and Yak – the Astrals just seem to fit me better than those brands but your experience may vary.
I’ve got a bunch of pfds- kokatat, astral, nrs, stohlquist, extrasport- go with what is comfortable and fits you well. You want unrestricted movement and a jacket that floats your head and shoulders out of the water. I like jackets that don’t put a lot of stress on the zipper when you put it on- a possible fail point. They all make a quality product- even extrasport recently has upped their game.
I’ve even got universal fit commercial rafting vests, a rescue vest, and a “big water” jacket but rarely use any of that for my own personal paddling, due to the bulk and more restricted movement. Those pfds have their place- rafting class V, boating where flush drowning is a distinct possibility, or for facilitating rescue (clinics) but that type of pfd can actually impede your own swimming abilty (to shore in ww) because they float you up so high.
It is about time for me to replace my current pfd- a stohlquist edge. It is getting a little worn. I usually end up getting a stohlquist instead of an astral because of price. Although, I think the astral’s may hold up a little bit better. I don’t mind some wear and tear on my boats, but every 2-3 years I switch out to a new pfd while there is still plenty of life left in it.
That was a consideration I had as well… How long is a quality PFD actually good for? I find answers that range from 10 years to indefinetley if in good condition. For me personally I think I would likeley replace in the 3-5 year range?
There is some concern that the flotation may lose some of its oomph over years. I have no opinion on the science. But by 8 years a PFD that has been in salt water has taken to looking like it is time for a replacement.
This is 100% my experience! I hated to–refused actually–wear the ones that NotThePainter had because they were uncomfortable. Eventually, I found one that’s comfortable and doesn’t squish me in uncomfortable ways. It wasn’t even expensive coming in at under $70.
It’s second nature to put it on now. In fact I’d feel uncomfortable not wearing one even in shallow and calm water.
As long as the foam flotation material in the PFD does not take on water, and has not shrunk to any significant extent, it should still displace the same volume of water.
What I have found goes bad with PFDs is the nylon material of the outer jacket. After prolonged UV exposure it loses strength and is easily torn.
I’ve had a variety of pfds wear out different ways- the old “high floats” and seda’s had foam compression as the main issue. My stolhquist edge (current pfd I’m using most) the fabric is abrading although I don’t quite know why, My older stolquist before that suffered from some foam compression- the jacket just didn’t float me as well after a while- You got to figure I’m boating around 70 days a year, and drying the jacket on a line outside (although out of direct sunlight), I suspect uv is the main culprit. Somewhere around 200-300 river days I replace. So factor all that when you consider when to replace your own. Always a good idea to jump in and test the jacket in a controlled environment to see how well it floats you and how much ride-up you have.
Years ago I took a three day boating class required for work. One component that stuck with me was the pfd swimming pool session. Trying on different vests, jackets, work suits, and survival suits was eye opening. My comfortable Stearns rode up on me and forced me to keep my arms down. Inflatables had a delay that allowed me to submerge a bit before activating. My advice- whatever you buy, try it out in the water before you need it. Don’t discount the need for a different pfd for different conditions. I wouldn’t recommend a marine jacket with lots of straps and do dads for whitewater where snags and sweepers are present.
