Time for a new PFD

Ditto on MsFit
Astral a close second

Ability To Remount in Heavy Seas
With the bloody thing on is my number one criteria. Because when they are too bulky in the chest area, you can’t hoist yourself up over the sides to spin around and plop back into the cockpit. Horizontal positioned foam blocks are the worst, for they get caught in the gunwales. Best are the vertical positioned foam blocks that allow you to smoothly glide over the gunwales. Pockets loaded up with stuff or stuff clipped outside the vest will get snagged and prevent you from remounting. So you got to jettison the pfd to get back on your boat. Worst is when your boat is drifting away from you faster than you can swim because your pfd is slowing you down with so much drag.

That Was Good
I really did LOL.

weightlessness
What I like most about the Astrals compared to other PFD’s I’ve owned (including Stohlquist, Extrasport, aforementioned Lotus and MTD) is that I am barely conscious I am wearing them due to how flexible they are and how well ventilated. Even on really hot days I have often finished a paddle, loaded the boats and not realized I still had the V-8 on until I climbed into the car seat. The Abba (the male version is the Norge) is super flexible – no blocky foam chunks to hang up on the boat.

Lola v2 is the Layla
Very similar but with some hinging on the back to make for better body contouring.





See you on the water,

Marshall

The River Connection, Inc.

Hyde Park, NY

www.the-river-connection.com

hudsonriverpaddler.org

Lash tabs
I’m curious about these. My Astral YTV has a lash tab.



I’ve read they’re there so you can attach a knife to it, but I’ve never figured how that’s done. Not that I ever plan on attaching a knife to the front of my PFD.



Do paddlers use lash tabs for other purposes?

I use one in a pocket for
attaching my PLB



jack L

Clip on the case
I have the NRS Co-Pilot - there is a clip on the back of the case that goes through the square lash tab. Once I put it on I couldn’t get it off…



http://www.nrs.com/product/2756/nrs-co-pilot-knife-closeout

Idea
I have not done this, but you could tie a 2mm nylon cord into a loop, then run it through the tab slots, and pull one end of the loop through the other.



That would allow you to attach small items that lack flat clips but have another kind of attachment device.

knife or light
I have a small stainless rubber handled lockback folding knife with a metal pocket clip that slots nicely into the square connection patches. (No brand name on it – I actually found it on the ground while hiking.) I also have a couple of small LED “gem” lights that fit perfectly on the patches for extra illumination during night paddling.



Those accessory patches were a feature of climbing and hiking backpacks for years (they were originally cut leather before the molded nylon plastic and rubber ones became the norm) – you can push a velcro or buckled nylon short strap through them to attach whatever you need, A butter knife is the best tool for doing this.

I guess my concern
about attaching anything to the lash tab is interference when getting back in the boat. Had that problem because of the design of my previous PFD (Stohlquist) with its flapped pockets.



If you have stuff hanging off the lash tab on the front of your PFD, how do you avoid it getting in the way?


The Astral location
on mine is poor - centered on the chest. I peeled my co-pilot off completely practicing re-entries. It’s on the bottom of Lake Lansing somewhere. I found out later that one of the corners on the tab is broken - perhaps from the same event.



It is good to have a knife with you that is easy to reach. I had to borrow one to cut a rope while extracting a kayak from a log jam this spring on the Manistee.

I use Kokatat MsFit and Maximus
Both allow solo re-entries with no issues. The MsFit has pockets that are out of the way.

Attaching stuff to PFD out of the way
I like a clean front on my PFD for reentries to kayak. I get this by use of the shoulder straps as attachment points for my knife and whistle and nose clips. Knife is attached with short cable ties and a cord. Works well. PFD is old Kokatat MsFit.

Onto shoulder straps
I agree that the central placement of the lash tab creates a snag point. I know from the folks at Astral that there was a hue 'n cry over “Where’s the lash tab?” when the various models first appeared without it.



Kinda, darned if you do …………



Most of the Astrals have some sort of daisy chaining on the shoulder strap or a small slip in pocket on the shoulder straps to attach to. Much more ergonomic position for potential protruding gear.



See you on the water,

Marshall

The River Connection, Inc.

Hyde Park, NY

www.the-river-connection.com

hudsonriverpaddler.org

Same preference, Ginger.
I’m a minimalist when it comes to my PFD front, which is why I like the Astral YTV so much. My whistle is attached to a shoulder strap, but that’s all I carry in the front.



Gear I need on me, such as cell phone, power bars, sunscreen, extra sun glasses, etc. I carry on my back, attached to my Astral. When I saw Marshall’s video on the Kokatat Tactic Pack, I thought it might solve my “how to carry stuff” problem, and it did - with just a small modification (velcro) to the lower attachment straps so I can quickly release it with one hand and flip it over my head for access. Much easier to get back in the boat when your gear is on your back versus front.



Link to review video: http://hudsonriverpaddler.org/2015/02/26/kokatat-tactic-pack-overview-2/

I Don’t Wear Coast Guard Approved PFDs
Instead, I wear foreign made ones that are more comfortable and designed for surfski racing. They also have a pocket in the back that accepts a 2 ltr. water bladder. They are approved and certified in the country of origin. They are the Mocke, which is bulky in the front and sometimes interferes with my remount, the Ocean Paddler, which is flat and doesn’t interfere when remounting and the Vaikobi, which is flat and also doesn’t interfere with remounting.



The trouble with selecting a pfd is you never know how well they perform until you try them. Sometimes you learn the hard way by getting welts and burns from all rubbing of the straps, especially, when paddling at a race pace.

Better be careful; what you put in print
You could easily get disqualified from a race if your equipment gets inspected.



On the registration forms, here in the U.S., in the rules it clearly states that “A U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD” shall be worn or on the boat".



Guy




Ditto on the Mocke
I plan to get a Mocke soon. They are much cooler in the summer (all mesh) and, as you said, you can carry a water bladder in the back.



I say screw the rules, I am not a racer. Also screw the CG regs, I know it works–it’s not rocket science. American manufacturers would be wise to start making life jackets like the Mocke!

Reflects Not Keeping Up to Date With
Superior equipment that have passed more stringent certification tests in other countries where paddling is more popular than in the U.S. Why do you think the various CG ratings have been discontinued? They are obsolete. Times have changed and so have the safety equipment in order to keep up with the tough physical demands paddlers are putting on them. I personally know that the Oceanpaddler pfd has already saved an ocean racer out 2 miles off the Na Pali Coast for 4 hours before rescue. Now that certainly is enough certification for me. That particular pfd was specifically designed for open ocean racing too. As a former race director, I’m guilty for writing into the rules and registration “CG type 3 pfd,” but that was 26 years ago. Today, in some countries, pfd manufacturers are sponsoring races and you can get disqualified for not wearing the sponsors pfd. Go figure…