Has anyone tried these? I was wondering how well they work. I am looking at the Scout. It is a belt model I think I would wear it a lot more often. I do mostly touring.
I have one…
And I’m pleased with it for MY kind of paddling.
I think they certainly have a place in paddling. It probably wouldn’t be my first choice for paddling in the Gulf or an ocean or on whitewater but that’s not where I paddle.
My husband who sails regularly
has the kind that inflate automatically if he hits the water. He wears them when solo in the ocean on our boat, and when in rough water as crew on someone else’s sailboat. I am thinking of getting the waist pack type for flatwater fitness paddling. Seems prudent.
Sospenders are OK but…
pick the kind that you have to manually trigger by pulling a cord, otherwise they could deploy when you don’t want them to. Make sure you follow the maintenance procedure outlined in the owners manual.
Also, I only use my Sospenders in hot weather on protected water. For open water, ocean touring, and in rough or windy conditions I still prefer a conventional PFD. Sospenders are a good choice here in South Florida during the summer when a conventional PFD can cause heat exhaustion.
SOS Auto
I heard that the automatic SOS had a recall. Better off with the manual. Still a conventional PDF is the way to go. But if you won’t ware that because of bulk and heat then the SOS is the way to go. FishHawk
Love the SOSpenders, not the scout
I use SOSpender sport class. In the Navy, we used a belt version similar to the scout class. It will work, but they are harder to put on in the water than you might think, especially if you are in less than ideal conditions. Consider the circumstances of where and when you paddle. In colder temperatures, fingers become stiff, wet clothes swell making it harder to reposition to the front. Just some food for thought. I enjoy the sport class, its the most comfortable one I have owned, i always wear it. Hope this helps.
They feel like they would get hot
around the neck.
Thanks everyone
I should have included a little more information. I mainly will be using it or more accurately want to use it during the summer months. I already have a great PFD but tend not to use it when it is hot out. And then only when on flat water in good conditions. It tends to find it’s way under my deck rigging. I am a pretty strong swimmer. This just seemed like the ticket.
TN-RiverRat, when I was in the NAVY I worked flight deck we always had a vest, wasn’t aware that anyone wore belts. Some days I wish I had taken one or two home. They were pretty comfortable and easy to maintain. Plus had some nice safety features.
Thanks everyone for your input.
rubber duckies
That’s,what the GQ/abondon ship belt models were called. Float coats like what you had were just for the flight deck crew during helo ops. I am a cruiser sailor, i assume you were on a ‘‘bird farm.’’
Cooler than my Extrasport pfd
it is so light, i havent had a problem with heat around the neck.
I like mine!
Maian reason, I’ll actually wear it when it’s hot and humid…I am also not a whitewater kayaker…I think if I were I would prefer the more traditional styles.
i like them
I had an automatic version which i used on my sailboat. Since on the sailboat there was the risk of getting hit in the head and knocked overboard, the automatic was worthwhile. I removed the auto inflate and will use it on my kayak. I just bought one for my wife. she promised to wear this, since it doesnt present the comfort compromise that the foam vests do. I found the Sospenders to be much more comfy to wear than other pfd’s. The regular maintenance requires about 10 minutes a year (orally inflate, leave inflated overnight to verify seam integrity, deflate and refold).
Yep I was