There are way more detractions to inflatables including $22 for a recharge kit if you have to inflate it, it is awkward when it is inflated and obstructs re-entry (as someone pointed out) and they are not as safe as a Type III. And there are no advantages. Just the opposite of what I thought.
I do not know what the environmental police are, but Wild Life and Fisheries checks me out and my vest is not CG approved I get ticketed? I guess so.another strike against the Eyson. Ya’ll really don’t like my Eyson do you.
Very shallow scenic bayous and marsh, very hot days. But I appreciate the sarcasm and I will decide where I belong.
If that is a law in your state, then yes they could ticket you. In many states, they have pretty incredible power. Catch you hunting without a license or doing something illegal? You lose the gun and any other tools used in the process, like your truck.
Do what you want, but I’d make an attempt to meet the law’s requirements in a way that best protects my safety. When I am looking at PFD’s, cost is not a significant factor. Comfort, ratings, reputation of the manufacturer and specs are. But we all have different priorities
I initially thought an inflatable, in this case an Eyson, was desirable because of its light weight, freedom of motion and coolness. I was proven wrong with some advice that pointed out some major disadvantages that can not be overcome on top of not even being legal. I like the Altra V8 but I thought a vest like that would be too hot. Maybe I overestimated that factor but it bothered me because I did not want to be distracted. Soooo, right now I would like to get an Altra V8 on sale but there is some water I really want to paddle so I can not wait too long…you are right, Wildlife and Fisheries have some serious power including property forfeiture.
So I paddle marshes, rivers, lakes ,swamps and ocean. I paddle sometimes in 100 degree weather and high humidity. I always wear a type III. I like the pockets too. BTW South Carolina and the Gulf states get hotter than FL.
Inflatables are used mainly on sail boats and motor boats were you don’t often in up in the water.
You are 100% right, along with all the others and I was wrong. I did not know a Good standard Type III could offer that degree of comfort and range of motion. I thought that was compromised. So I looked at the inflatables and how unrestrictive they were and how open and that is how I wanted to feel. But they are not a life vest And have severe disadvantages. So i have to change my thinking and am looking at the AltraV8 that someone suggested. But I would really like to try one on.
And sometimes they don’t work.
“On July 21, 2018, at approximately 14:26 CDT, Jon Santarelli slipped overboard from the cockpit of the TP 52, Imedi, as she sailed northeast from the 14:00 start of the Race to Mackinac. The Imedi crew immediately tacked and circled back to Jon’s position in the water, never losing visual track of him, but were unable to stop the boat close enough to retrieve Jon, due to the 20-25 knot winds and 6-8’ seas. They circled again and came closer to Jon on the second attempt, this time with the engine running, but just as they got close to Jon, a wave forced the boat up and over Jon and he went under the boat from starboard to port. Imedi circled a third time, and this time they were able to stop the boat very close to Jon, but as they tossed Jon a line and he raised his arms, he sank below the water and was not seen again. His life jacket, which was reported as set for automatic inflation, never inflated and he was never seen to try to manually inflate it. In the subsequent search, Imedi was joined by the Coast Guard, CFD, CPD, three helicopters, several other power boats and eight Race to Mackinac entrants who had stopped racing to help search. The search was called off at dark, after five hours with no results. A week later, on July 28th, Jon’s body was found floating 4 nautical miles east of the Chicago Harbor Entrance.”
From the CYC accident report.
You lost me kiddo, but I am going to take a stab at this because I run from nothing.
- You ain’t rolling In a shallow bayou or in the Marsh
- You ain’t static bracing in a shallow bayou or in the Marsh
- There is some water you do not want to “dump” on your head, trust me
on this. - If heat build up was not a concern In standard Type III PDFs, why did
Altra develop the ultra light Altra V8, the first breathable PDF that is
their most popular model. - You said that,”If getting wet is a major problem I do not
know what someone is doing in a Kayak.“ Then you said you have
personal issues that “complicates you getting wet.”
So as you can see, I am lost, if you would like to clarify and explain your point.
I won’t go there but most good PFD fit a couple of sizes. I wear an extra large but my medium paddling partner can adjust it to fit her.
Yes that happens. I have no disagreement with what you are saying. I don’t know, but a couple of other points. You are advised to change out the cartridge annually even though most have a 3 year life span. A throw ring should have been thrown when the man went over. The conditions sound fairly rough, and wearing a life line and harness may have been warranted. The man going under the boat could have been incapacitated even if the PFD had worked, which may have made a live rescue much more difficult. However, he would have been floating at the surface which would indeed improve his chances.
Not changing the cartridge on an inflatable is sort of like slipping on a Type III and not fastening it when you wear it. I like the KISS principle and a Type III doesn’t require activation or blowing it up once you are in the water.
1 Like
I should add that on boats that are larger than kayaks, keep you dry, and have motors or sails many people don’t even wear a PFD. It is easy to become complacent about them and not do due diligence.
Do you think the Astral V8 is a good PDF for the money and does anyone consider it bulky in the least?
It’s not bulky. It’s also “Astral.”
I have an older discontinued Astral that is not the V8. It works for me. I don’t have experience with the V8.
Where did I get that from.
That is what I wanted to know. I do not want the feeling of bulkiness at all. That is why I convinced myself I needed an inflatable until I learned of all the drawbacks.
If the water temperature is warm enough that you don’t need thermal protection, then I recommend a long-sleeved cotton shirt and hat. Get them soaking wet and let the evaporation of the water cool you. One try on a hot, sunny day and you’ll be a convert.
A safety issue with inflatables is that in the heat of the moment, paddlers often forget to inflate them. And sometimes the cartridges or whatever get old and fail to work. Type III PFDs are a lot like seat belts - once you get used to it, you don’t notice it, and in fact, feel naked without it.
Another thing that concerns me about inflatable PFDs is using them with drysuits, which presents the threat of an inversion drowning. Air in the suit migrates to the legs, the paddler turns upside down and can’t get their head back to the surface. That will never happen with a Type III.
You are probably right and I may be overestimating how hot I will be with a Type III vest, but sometimes where I am the water conditions are not good or muddy and you would not want to be pouring this over your head.
1 Like
I have just about ruled out inflatables after being convinced that is what I wanted. There are just too many major disadvantages too them to make them particle. You have no feeling of bulkiness with your Type III? I hate that feeling. What Type III do you use and what do you think of the Astral V8?