great pfd - Canadians

I consider the quality of my pfd to be second only to the paddle. As such, I have always searched for the most comfortable and best fitting vest. This inevitably meant buying a pfd from an American company, and risking the “disapproval” of Canadian authorities (though that has never happened to me personally). I thought nothing could beat my old Lotus vests until today.



I just tried a couple of vests from Salus, a newer Canadian company. I liked them so much I picked up a Darwin Expedition and a Gjoa. So far, I think I like them better than my p-vest and Lola. The fit is wonderful, and the construction is top-notch.



Very exciting news for Canadian paddlers, or anyone wanting to try a new, better pfd. As a side note, I found out they make an infant’s vest that has won some high praise.



Worth looking into: http://www.salusmarine.com/


another CDN option is…

– Last Updated: Sep-21-06 6:25 PM EST –

oops, for some reason I thought they were based in Canada, I wonder where I got my lines crossed. I had it in my head that they were out of Quebec! apologies...

MA?
It looks like they are based in Massachusets. Are you saying they are Transport Canada approved?



Salus makes their vests in Canada, and I just wanted to let folks know how pleased I was with their product (as I sure tell you all when I am displeased!).


Buying Canadian PFD
Tried some of the Salus line of PFDs. Didn’t like any of them as they didn’t fit right. Ended up with a Lotus Sherman, which is approved by Canadian Dept of Transportation

different shapes, i suppose
I guess the key is to shop around. I had an extrasport once that I just hated, but the buddy I gave it to thought it was great. I really liked my lotus designs, but just found the Salus Gjoa conformed to my body even better. Friends who have kokatats swear by them, but I found the ones I tried a little too stiff.



The moral seems to be to try as many as possible before you buy. My suggestion, then, is to at least give Salus a try if you are in the market for a new pfd. The point of the thread was not to say they are the “best” for everyone, just that they are very well made, and worth a look - especially as they are not as well known as some of the more common manufacturers.