Inflatable Life Jackets

[JoePa]

Up until now I haven't bought one of those inflatable life jackets - when I did wear one it was one of those old fashion ones that are real bulky - I think it is time to break down and get an inflatable one - the questions that come to mind is whether I get one that inflates by itself or one I have to activate - and do I buy extra cylinders for the jackets in case I can't get them in the future - and what brands are considered the best to buy - the self inflatable ones - how wet does the jacket have to get before it activates - would a heavy rain cause that to happen - would appreciate any thoughts on this subject - thanks - Joe  P.S. reading what happened to Kevin made me think about this

[misfish]

Like I said about mine, it just slipped into the water and inflated. I haven't been out in a heavy down pour,so no idea. I would buy 2 extra cylinders and bobbins.

[Dan668]

I thought about buying one for when im fishing alone or in the fall on the bow with the electric trolling motor. Im hesitant to buy one for when operating the big motor. Not much impact protection and ive seen a few stories from operators on bbcboards that were ejected from their bass boat and the inflatable never went off. Kind of scary. 

Edited September 13, 2018 by Dan668

[T-Bone]

Timely as I was thinking the same thing; my issue is this...

So I have this 'deflated' life jacket on and I feel protected. Then something happens and I need it to work. What are my assurances it will inflate? Or, more disturbing, what if it DOESN'T inflate when I need it too. Seems like you'd be screwed. I don't know...not sure I trust a CO cartridge to go off when I tell it to. 

Are there "padded" life vests that aren't so bulky? I know it's always "inflated" at least. 

[ketchenany]

Yes, I have one. Had to buy so we could photograph it an photoshop it on a guy in a canoe for a tourism book. It's like a vest, not bulky and is has styrofoam, front and back lots of pockets. . . . don't know the make. but can find out.  

[AKRISONER]

I will try to speak with my own perspective and explain my thought process because ive done it both ways in multiple types of boats and i only recently realized that wearing an auto inflatable is the best option.

Heres why

1. I started by fishing a tinner, where I realized that standing on my self installed casting deck in a 14 foot tinner is risky to say the least...so i bought an auto inflate because i realized that the safety net of wearing a life jacket in that boat was needed...heck a my best buddy fell out of that boat during a storm in October...not a good scene, no life jacket on either...

2. I then purchased a bass boat and i weighed my options...i had read a lot of the stories about auto inflates no inflating, and i thought...damn I dont trust one of those things to protect me if i were to have an accident while driving 40+MPH in a bass boat. So i started wearing the full 4 buckle vest while under power with the tether...but naturally once i stopped to hop up on the trolling motor the vest came off.

Then I went drop shotting in 3 foot chop on G bay...was sketchy...but then i came back to the cottage and read that A board member was missing and i thought...Scott What the hell are you doing...your thought process here is a total joke...I literally was fishing in chop with no life preserver all because i was worried that my auto inflate on some off statistical nightmare wouldnt inflate in the case of emergency.

Meanwhile one of our very own around here is missing and its literally because he was doing exactly what I was doing, and that was fishing without some form of PFD...

So what have I be doing since? Im back wearing the auto inflatable...to hell with the horror stories. Ill tell you right now the odds of me taking a spill while fishing with no PFD is about 100000000000000000000x higher than the chance of your auto inflate failing specifically while you are under power of your main outboard while driving at speed.

Its amazing how short sighted weve become.

Obviously if I really wanted to, i could switch between the auto and standard vest...but lets be serious...who can claim that they would be perfect making this switch every time.

I think we all need to give our head a shake and realize that slapping on an auto inflatable at the begining of your day and then subsequently forgetting that it is there like I do every time im wearing mine is your safest bet. Unless you want to wear a vest in 30 degree heat, cause i gurantee that will come off in short order.

 

I own a cabellas guidewear and ive woken up from a nap on the couch in the cottage wearing it...ya...they are that comfortable.

[lew]

They're nice and comfortable and I wore one myself but as Dan668 suggested just know that they have been known NOT to work when guys have fallen or been thrown from boats.

If that happens and your injured or out cold you'll be in trouble.

Plenty of reports around the web of them failing.

[Tomcat]

I purchased a Mustang auto inflatable PFD model 3153 in 2006. I've since purchased rearm kits (CO2 cartridges are good for 5 years if not used) in 2011 and again in 2016. Before I replaced the CO2 cartridge, I manually pulled the rip cord to ascertain whether the PFD would inflate. On both occasions it did. I then let the inflated PFD sit on the floor for 12 hours to ascertain whether the bladder would leak - they did not. After I manually deflated the bladder, I tried to inflate the bladder orally. It took less than 4 breaths to fully inflate the bladder. I'm more than satisfied with the comfort level my Mustang auto inflatable PFD provides while I have it on. I haven't left the dock very often without my auto inflatable PFD on and as soon as I realize I don't have it on, I return to the dock to get it. Rearm kits run about $85. Purchasing a backup CO2 cylinder is not cost effective in my opinion because the backup CO2 cylinder requires replacement at 5 year intervals as well.

Edited September 13, 2018 by Tomcat

[kickingfrog]

They are infinitely better than no life jacket or pfd. Another key thing to remember is that the standard pfds that are often used, if worn, will not keep an unconscious adult's face out of the water. Only life jackets do that and most of the inflatables are that (there are those belt type ones that are not life jackets). Another factor is that if the inflatable is not worn it does not count as a floatation device. I always have a standard life jacket on board for me in case I take my inflatable off and forget to put it back on. What's your life worth to you? No one plans on falling overboard. 

[grimsbylander]

Truth: Auto-inflate life jackets are NOT 100% guaranteed to inflate. If you want that kind of guarantee, you have to wear a standard foam type PFD. What they are is a really good alternative to not wearing any PFD while fishing. While running your boat at speed, they're not a good substitute for a standard PFD. If anything happens while running at speed, there is much high chance of entering the water with an injury and the jacket may not inflate. Also, a standard jacket provides some level of protection to your body should you hit something. I have a standard jacket that remains attached to my kill switch and I have my auto-inflate for when I stop the boat to fish.

[farsider]

Falling and hitting your head on the way out is but one example.

 

What if a "personal watercraft", out of control boat or some drunk, inattentive cruiser hits you.

Can happen in an instance,  like being rapidly swamped (like the shared story), with little time to find, let alone put on a PFD.

 

Always wear one.

[Dutch01]

For people that want an inflatable it's your life, your choice.

I fish from a kayak, often at night and occasionally alone. I use a foam PFD as knowing that an inflatable is statistically  unlikely to fail will be no comfort to me while I drown if it does.

Besides, my PFD is all day comfortable. Most good ones are.

[grimsbylander]

6 minutes ago, Dutch01 said:

For people that want an inflatable it's your life, your choice.

I fish from a kayak, often at night and occasionally alone. I use a foam PFD as knowing that an inflatable is statistically  unlikely to fail will be no comfort to me while I drown if it does.

Besides, my PFD is all day comfortable. Most good ones are.

In your case would do the exact same.

[Lape0019]

I have cheap lifejackets in the boat right now but plan on getting a mustang Survival Accel 100 as I have worn them before and they are comfortable and seem to be quite flexible for fishing.

Akri, I get what you are saying but if you recall over the winter a co angler died on Okeechobee when he flew out of a boat. Now, he was wearing a foam styled jacket but at the time on another board many members voiced their concern on the inflatables being ripped off your body at high speeds. Just something else to consider. I personally wear a foam filled jacket while under power and would not mind getting a mustang inflatable (Mustang gets really good reviews for protection and comfort. Only reason I am mentioning this product) but like you, would probably not switch between the two.

Wearing a PFD 100% of the time is the only way to ensure sad days like this do not occur. Whatever people decide to do is better than nothing so give thought to what just occurred and make your own decisions.

[kickingfrog]

The level of protection some foam on a pfd is going to provide is being over estimated and will not keep your face out of the water if you are unconscious. 

People do have the ability to make a choice, just make sure you understand what those choices are. 

[grimsbylander]

7 minutes ago, kickingfrog said:

The level of protection some foam on a pfd is going to provide is being over estimated and will not keep your face out of the water if you are unconscious. 

People do have the ability to make a choice, just make sure you understand what those choices are. 

Every circumstance is different, true, but regardless of the level of protection it provides it's more that an auto-inflate which has zero padding. I talked to a guy that got knocked into the water at speed and almost drowned wearing an auto-inflate that didn't inflate. He said the worse part was the impact broke his ribs and he could hardly breath or move his arms. He now wears a fully padded vest while running at speed. No telling how much if any the vest could have protected his chest but it couldn't be worse. They're not super comfortable for nothing. To each their own but learning from other people's situations makes good sense.

[misfish]

15 minutes ago, grimsbylander said:

To each their own but learning from other people's situations makes good sense.

Seems all the boards that have heard about the lose of our friend, are all talking this same subject.  Sad it took his lose of life to bring this to the front .

Edited September 13, 2018 by misfish

[grimsbylander]

Yes it is too bad. The "it could never happen to me" way if thinking evaporates quickly when it happens to someone else that you never thought it could happen to.

[JoePa]

Thanks guys it is a good discussion - from the comments I think I will stick with the foam filled bulky life jacket - having an inflatable one that doesn't open is bad news - I do need to buy new foam jackets - the mice got at the ones I have - the one thing I think of a lot when I'm bass fishing in a lake that is filled with lilly pads and weeds is if I ever fell in and couldn't hang onto the boat there is no way I could swim because my legs would get all tangled up with the weeds

[aplumma]

I do not think that the auto inflates or the manual inflatables are rated for speed impacts. While running the bass boat we wear 4 strap jetski impact rated vests and full face helmets with whiplash collars. When off plane in waters that the shore can be seen and easily reached I do not wear a life vest unless the water is below 70F. When fishing alone or the shore is to far to easily reach I use a high speed rated while under power and a manual inflatable when fishing. I raced Jet Skis  for years competitively and a full wetsuit , whiplash collar, spine guard ,helmet and impact rated PFD were needed because of the 50MPH wrecks that occurred. I have been thrown off at full speed and had a helmet  cracked when someone hit me as they went by. The difference was we had water rescue on the course to pull you out of the water immediately. Always be safe and take the time to make sure you will come home again. 

A

[spincast]

FWIW  if you google failure rate self inflate pfd, there are very few hits - one where the CO2 tanks wasn't installed, 1 where the auto didnt work, but the manual back up did (although the user did not know how to use it and did not survive)   , one where it was a defect that has since been addressed, and one, where some one did the test Tomcat does, and the pfd slowly lost air over an hour. I will be introducing Tomkat's tests into my spring routine. I suspect the chance of you falling in the water and the vest not inflating would less than being killed in a motor vehicle  accident on the way to the launch. Not sure if I would let that be the sole reason for my decision. Sit in the sun on a day of plus 30 degree weather with no wind and that full size pfd is a sweat trap you will be very tempted to remove - or at least they were for me

2018 - 8 best

unhappy sailor

design flaw

didn't pull cord

[cisco]

I recall reading about them at the bass pro website and declined purchasing once I read some don't work under a certain temperature. That was a few years ago but IMHO read the limitations of it before you buy one. I like late fall trips so the temp thing was a real deal breaker.

[chris.brock]

For the price of them and the question of whether they will actually inflate when needed, no thanks.

My thinking - if I'm by myself and knock myself unconscious and into the water, I'm probably toast, regardless of whatever PFD I'm wearing

                   -  wearing a PFD is most important when the weather and the water is cold and I actually often wear an old school foam PFD on days like this because it's good insulation and keeps my core temp up, and it's more comfortable than a bulky jacket, my arms have a free range of motion

    -

 

  

[gordy28]

I bought an auto inflate a few years ago and wear it whenever I fish now.   Mainly because it’s comfortable.  Prior to that I never wore one because I found it uncomfortable or too hot.  So for me I am happy w the auto inflate

 

[SirCranksalot]

1 hour ago, chris.brock said:

 

My thinking - if I'm by myself and knock myself unconscious and into the water, I'm probably toast, regardless of whatever PFD I'm wearing

                   - 77

 

  

Very true. In that case you need to be wearing a life jacket as opposed to a PFD.A life jacket will keep your face out of the water---a PFd will not