The black crabpot buoys are very easy to see, and they are about the size of a quart bottle. @Buffalo_Alice summed it up. An 18 inch diameter submerged log only has about 1 inch above water, but boaters see that. Go figure!
It’s hard to beat sale prices. Especially in today’s economy. I was considering a black/grey NRS Clearwater PFD for $55 from Walmart. It just had a 10 day shipping period.
I never thought a big box store like Scheels would mark items down like that. I couldn’t pass it up. I’m glad it fit right too.
I was interested in an air belt too. I may look into it, as that would be even more comfortable.
Huh, I’ve never seen an Astral V8 in mustard yellow. Might have been a demo model. Though they do make the fisherman version of the V8 in a khaki tan color. And Astral does often change their PFD colors from year to year.
Re finding your PFD in an unexpected store, with the rise of people buying through Amazon, a lot of retail stores have begun taking advantage of the opportunity to buy job lots of catalog returns from Amazon and their vendors. For a lot of online sellers, processing returned goods to resell them is not worth the bother or expense so they just wholesale returned items in bulk to companies that will, in turn, sell packages of them to brick-and-mortar stores. There is a chain called Gabe’s here in PA and Ohio that gets a lot of their stock that way. I often pick up great deals on quality outdoor gear from North Face, Columbia, Prana, Clark’s, Gerry and even Patagonia at Gabe’s for as much as 80% off original prices. I once got an $800 Pottery Barn wooden desk there for $65.
By the way, if you have any degree of colorblindness (which is common in men, in fact one in every 8 men is red-green colorblind to some degree), the pumpkin orange that is one of the colors Astral uses for the V8 will appear sort of golden wheat or brownish yellow color.
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It’s the soil tan color that is listed on Astrals website.
Dijon mustard yellow is just my hot take on it.
If that’s the case with the store buying a lot of returns, then It definitely makes sense on why this store was able to sell this at such a low price. I figured the price was because of the ugly yellow color. In today’s world returns are frequent, so I am sure they would rather take a small loss or small win on a PFD like the one I got.
I wish I had a store like Gabe’s! I have bought a few items from Patagonia when they have their yearly salary. I like how Patagonia tries to pay fair wages to their employees. Unlike most of clothing companies.
Looks good. Nothing wrong with that. Dijon!
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It sure does! That was my guess on why it was marked down half price.
You did score – I can tell by the details on the image you posted that is the newest version of the V8 and a newer color. My older one (bought 10 years ago) doesn’t have the larger pockets and the surface mounted waist belt.
This is why you carry a flare gun, fired directly towards the drunk power boater and across their bow. generally causes a immediate course alteration…
Not saying you should do it, or admitting I have done it, but it works.
But I find they’re not the problem it is the ones who like to see “how close” they can get and wake swamp you or capsize you.
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I prefer a 44 magnum through the engine cover…
Well I just plunked down $230 for an astral blue jacket which they modified slightly and renamed. Almost identical to what I’ve been wearing the last few years and mine is red in color just like my last one I think I got about 3 years out of my previous model but it’s looking pretty faded now
Mine is going to last way longer then that…because I don’t wear it.
No problem since you are apparently seldom, if ever , in the water.
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Come and get some…