Does anyone have personal experience with these PFD’s used in for touring situations where storage is important?
Jon http://3meterswell.blogspot.com
Only the Posiedon
– Last Updated: Mar-04-15 9:59 PM EST –
Tried it on for fit at a trade show and to play with the pocketabilities. I attached enough storage onto myself to look like a pineapple grenade. I've found that I need to be careful about how much gets carries on the front of the PFD as it can hinder dexterity if recovering from an OOBE (Out of Boat Experience). Given that I'm going to continue with my Astral Seawolf. Good storage without snags on the front of the pfd.
Someone else will need to weigh in re: Centurion
I did like one of the Poseidpn accessories, the Tactic Pack and have a video review at hudsonriverpaddler org
See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
Hyde Park, NY
www.the-river-connection.com
hudsonriverpaddler.org
Tried them both and purchased the…
– Last Updated: Apr-03-15 7:24 AM EST –
Maximus Centurion........
I have been the happy owner of a MsFit for the past 7 or 8 years. I liked the big pockets, radio pouch and the slick stretchy pocket between the inside and outside fit my camera perfectly. I really liked the fact that it could be unzipped for cooling while still remaining securely buckled up. I used the Tributary Hydration pack always and on long trips I used the Kokatat backpack strapped over the Tributary as my ditch bag. The MsFit was getting long in the tooth, though, and needed to be replaced. I was just going to buy a new one but thought I should see what Kokatat had that was new.
The Poseidon appealed to me for its flexibility in adding storage. As a sea kayaking vest it seemed well designed and the extra pockets looked like they would hold a lot.
The Maximus Centurion appealed to me for the same reasons but also for its alleged freedom of movement and additional floatation.
Here's what I found:
First off, the removable/added pockets are not nearly as large in real life as they look in photos and videos. Lots of zippers and tethers but not a lot of room. The integrated hydration sleeve in the Poseidon seemed pretty narrow at the opening and while a great idea didn't seem like something that would please me long term. The straps on the Tactic Pack are really long and hook to the daisy chains on the Centurion shoulder pads in a way that they would shift off of the neoprene pads and seemed to me that it would flop around. Maybe that's the cost of something that can be unclipped and pulled around in front for access. At any rate that didn't do it for me.
By Kokatat sizing I am a Women's Large (MsFit) and a M/L for the Poseiden and Centurion. All are 42-46 chest. The MsFit was comfy from day one.
The Poseiden barely fit. With all straps completely loose I could barely close it. Tight fitting. It didn't ride up and stayed in place. The next size up was way too big. Maybe the foam would break down and improve the fit but this vest felt restrictive to me
The Centurion fit snuggly but comfortably. With straps loose it was easy to get on side entry or over my head. Tightening the straps pulled the vest closer without discomfort and gave a very connected feel. While paddling it just disappeared as movement is fluid and unrestricted as compared to the Poseidon. The vest moved with me.
After trying these vests I used my MsFit again and found the experience enlightening. It rode up, did not secure as well and did not follow my torso rotation. I just moved around inside of it........maybe the reason for the pinhole leaks in the upper portion of my drysuits?
I bought the Centurion. I was hoping to use the Tactic Pack as my hydration pack and Ditch Bag in one but it's too small overall. The long straps are also a deal breaker, however, after lengthening the lower straps on my Tributary Pack I am using it for water and some strap mods on the Tactics Pack make it a killer and trim ditch bag.
I'm a happy guy. Hammer Gel flask, ProBars, lip balm and whistle all fit well in the duplex chest pockets. My camera fits nicely into the stretchy sleeve created for the tow tether or can nestle in the belly pocket with my VHF and sunscreen. Tethers everywhere. The Tactic/Ditchbag Pack is a much nicer and more functional unit as compared to what I have been using. All my stuff fits.
A vest that disappears when you are on the water is a good idea. I suspect that this style of vest may not be as popular in warm climates and I wonder how much I will miss the ability to unzip it and allow a 0" to 2" cooling gap in the front.
One other thing........my usual put-in requires a 200 yard shoulder/cockpit carry. The neoprene shoulder pad made that so much easier. Small thing, I know, but I appreciate it.
Jon
http://3meterswell.blogspot.com
Kokatat OutFIT Tour
I just got this pfd and am very happy with the storage capacity. The front pocket for the vhf is easily handles my vhf plus an extra protein bar or two if needed. It’s very comfortable and is low profile enough to not get in the way when practicing rolls.
Cheers,
Tony
whew
posEIDON. That’s better.
I was worried they’d chosen an unfortunate name for their new drysuit.