Mocke
I received a Mocke pfd from oceanpaddlesports. It’s a little pricey, as it’s imported from South Africa, but is nice and comfortable, and cool.
inflatables?
I haven’t used the inflatables for kayaking, but I use them sailing all the time. I can’t imagine trying to reboard a kayak wearing one though! They’re quite large, and definitely keep you face up, which would seem to be problematic for any attempts to swim up onto the back deck on your chest for an assisted or solo rescue.
The hybrids would seem like a better idea, since I guess the inflatable part would be reserved for once you’ve given up on trying to get back in your boat. Does the foam part give you enough flotation to hold both hands up and still float your head above water (like if you’re trying to empty a boat prior to a rescue)?
Just curious questions from someone who lives way to far north to EVER worry about being too hot in a PFD! 
you can also
use your tilley hat to collect water and dump it over your head but rolling looks really cool and impresses people.
Astral LDB & …
The Astral LDB seems like a minimially-shaped PFD. Still listed t 17lb flotation like most others, so I’m not sure what to think of this… But it’s kind of pricey at $115+ or so
I’m thinking my next “winter project” could be to re-shape one of my cheap PFDs that are nothing more than foam stuffed in a nylon bag. Should be easy to cut out some of the foam from the back and sides, move some of it to the front or side/rear to minimize the loss of flotation while still maintaining free motion and no interference with layback rolls, then re-stitch the nylon fabric.
Would depend on type of boat
He’s a beginner living in Florida, I could be wrong, but if I had to put money down on what he’s paddling, I would guess it might not be a sea kayak. I would guess a rec yak or a SOT. Down here in the hot states, I don’t see a lot of traditional sea kayaks, both because they take more skill and because there is a belief down here that sticking your legs down in the hull would make you hot (I’m not going to argue for or against that point). So, if he’s in a rec or SOT, he’s almost never going to have to worry about falling out. Even in the winter down here, I have stopped wearing wet or dry suits altogether, because in the 9 years I have been paddling the Texas water, in a SOT I have never once gone over in the bay, no matter how windy or choppy, and the only time I turtle in the gulf is when I am surfing, and that’s not that common either. So, in those cases, inflatables aren’t going to be a problem.
Roll in Fla
With a name like Kudzu – I figured you were from the Carolinas (LOL) The problem with rolling in Fla is Alligators, talk about loosing your head over matters
Astral LBD is
$90 at Campmor
$70 at ems
$78 at shopgetoutdoors.com
Low prices are a google search away…
jim
rolling in florida
thats called bobbing for gators
tee hee… snicker
flatpick goaded me into rolling. figgerd i’d do a little goading, too.
snicker snicker
Reef Monkey
Actually I paddle a Valley Avocet
Galveston
I lived on Galveston mid 70’s . Is the Original Mexican Restaurant still there . Was off Broadway and 16th i think
2 choices
I use a $20 fishing pfd that buckles at the bottom and unzips up the front so coolness hits my chest and heart. from the back is a play hydration pack. Bad conditions and you zip it up. Some can have too much velcro that might need to be cut off if it cuts as you rotate.
I also have a platypus hydration pack with 2in by 8in by 15in thick white ethafoam. I wear it on my back so chest is cool. And you can swim to boat. Swimming to boat if boat blew away is almost impossible while wearing pfd
Stohlquist A-Sea
I don’t think this has been mentioned. I have one, am happy with it.
Jim
http://www.stohlquist.com/dyn_prod.php?k=&p=STO5205
Knew there was a chance I could be wrong
but I went with the numbers for what I see around here. I meant no insult against those who drive rec yaks and SOTs, as I regularly paddle the latter. Even my surfski could technically be called a SOT
I haven’t tried 2 eat there since b4 Ike
– Last Updated: Jan-15-09 12:56 PM EST –
so I don't know if they survived (but I hope they did) but they were still going strong up until then.
They're actually on 14th at Market, caddy-corner from the UTMB complex, which makes me worry. Jobs have been slashed at UTMB post-Ike, which may hit OMC's cliente base hard. It's terrible, it will gut the Galveston economy. Perry needs to move some emergency funds in there - UTMB is an important asset to Galveston, Texas, and the medical field.