inflatable life vest

Advice
#1

Does anyone wear the inflatable life vest this time of year? The regular PFDs are very hot when it is above 90 outside. Any type catch your eye?

#2

inflatables…
… I have the Bass Pro model ( by Mustang) …yes it’s cooler to wear but they can be stiff and not the greatest comfort since the bladder is pretty inflexible when it is tightly packed in the vest. I haven’t had mine go off yet so I cannot vouch for it’s effectiveness. The re-arm kits are expensive too,especially for the auto-inflate models, and you always should carry a re-arm kit( or 2 !). The re-arm kit for my auto-inflate is around $70. also the collar tends to ride high on the nape of my neck which i don’t like.

#3

No personal experience, but
heard good things about Helly Hansen vests

http://store.vernondeon.com/index.php?opt=detail&ID=18&PID=6449

(probably the one called Worksafe at the right).

Go for manual inflation (i.e. you pull the line and CO2 cartridge fills it up). You might take a deeper dive first, but in a second you will float like a buoy.



My preference in hot weather is not an inflatable west, but a mesh-back. There are different kinds, I have one by Stohlquist Getaway High back http://www.austinkayak.com/products/review/815/Stohlquist-Getaway-High-Back-PFD.html. Mine has more foam in upper back and less mesh in lower back (roughly 70/30 ratio). Some other models have more mesh, but in my area it can get windy even in summer, so don’t want too much mesh.

#4

PAY for a good vest
Generally speaking, any flim flam company can sew foam.

Well known manufacturers of kayaking gear make

decent gear you can wear all day without an issue.



Sitting in a powerboat ain’t paddling.

Paddlers need paddling gear designed by folks that know paddling.

#5

Alternative …
http://www.paddling.net/Reviews/showReviews.html?prod=2451



It is probably just as light and cool as some inflatables I’ve seen and it works with no air -;). The waist-worn inflatables would probably have the lowest area of your torso covered…

#6

This is mech-back, but
a kind of odd design, with mesh in upper back and foam in lower back. Most mesh-backs have mesh in the lower back and foam above.

#7

Yes
Mine is from Mustang Survival.

#8

I use the inflatable
that comes on a belt for flatwater. Works very well. For whitewater (even easy stuff), I’ll wear a regular PFD. I have an Astral that fits well for that.

#9

Have you actually seen it?

– Last Updated: Jun-29-11 9:26 AM EST –

This is the jacket in my link: Astral V8.

http://www.astralbuoyancy.com/products/men/V8/index.html

I have it and there is mesh in about 1/3 of the lower back and foam on the upper back. Mesh on the sides. Mesh *under* all of it (so that it does not stick to your torso), and what they call AirEscape (holes) in several places in the foam panels so you get a lot of air circulation.

It is also extremely light-weight, so once on I barely notice it.

Many inflatables are lower profile (stay flat) but are constructed like a traditional PFD in shape: instead of foam they have air, e.g., they do not offer additional cooling compared to if they had foam in them instead.

#10

and there is a belt pouch
for that belt on inflatable (because there are no pockets).

Mustang Utility Pouch for Inflatable PFD: http://www.amazon.com/Mustang-Utility-Pouch-Inflatable-PFDs/dp/B001UQS4QK