Self inflating life jacket advice, please.

[captpierre]

A friend of mine wants to get one for her husband for Christmas.  I think she prefers the self inflating type in case he can’t pull the cord. 

I told her I’d ask you guys for a recommendation. Especially around comfort so he’ll wear it all the time. 

Thanks, Peter. 

[GBW]

I have a BPS one I like.  It has a back-up pull tab on it so if it doesn't 'pop' on it's own I can tug it.  

[wkrp]

Mustang H.I.T.

[misfish]

1 hour ago, wkrp said:

Mustang H.I.T.

All I can say about this is, mine fell off the seat of my toon into the water on shore, and it went full blown.

[mark demmery]

I agree with GBW.  I have a BPS one (got on sale) and its lite and  comfortable in the summer, but adjusts big enough to accommodate bulky fall/winter jackets.  Self inflating is the way to go imo... 

[Tomcat]

I've had a Mustang Model 3153 (MUSTANG MD315302 H.I.T. INFLATABLE PFD AUTO (HYDROSTATIC INFLATION)) for 12 years now. It's so comfortable, you are hardly aware that you are wearing it. Highly recommended.

[misfish]

2 hours ago, captpierre said:

Especially around comfort so he’ll wear it all the time. 

So comfortable, I have gone out without it on. Have drove home, with it on.

[Fisherman]

Not to sound like a pessimist but what are the chances, slip fall, boink your head and the darn thing doesn't auto inflate.  I like the old tried and true jacket style pdf and in cold weather, a float coat.

[irishfield]

Boat = Auto inflate, no reason to have anything else.

Airplane = Manual inflate, or you can't get out the door !

[AKRISONER]

I really like my cabellas guidewear auto

i wrote a thread about auto inflatables a while back and the somewhat stupid mentality that I had gained from people talking about the fact that some people have had them malfunction and not Inflate.

the problem with this logic is that basically 99% of people who wear lifejackets in the boat take them off once they are no longer under power...I was guilty of this, I always wore my jacket under power but then slipped it off to fish! Stupid! All because I was caught up in this idea that my auto inflate might not inflate while I’m driving my boat fast! which all things considered is stupid as all hell because the majority of drowning accidents are from people falling off of boats while fishing. 
 

I think we can all agree that wearing an inflatable pdf full time is 1000000 times safer than wearing your foam pdf while driving but then taking it off to fish.

These things are so comfy these days I’ve fallen asleep on my couch inside the cottage while still wearing mine!

 

Edited December 10, 2019 by AKRISONER

[BillM]

I need to pic up some auto ones for the oldman and I.  Definitely before the spring.

[wkrp]

12 hours ago, Tomcat said:

I've had a Mustang Model 3153 (MUSTANG MD315302 H.I.T. INFLATABLE PFD AUTO (HYDROSTATIC INFLATION)) for 12 years now. It's so comfortable, you are hardly aware that you are wearing it. Highly recommended.

Ditto on the model# and I just bought my son the same for xmas.

[Gil Levesque]

I have 4 yrs. Old BPS auto inflate! Love it! How often should I change the C02 cylinder! No rust on it ,looks great??

[Lape0019]

I purchased a Mustang Elite 28 this year and absolutely love it. The reason I went this route was because of the design. Although it is quite pricey, the 3d is super comfortable to wear and stays close to your body.

I wanted to be able to wear it all day in the fall and it has a pretty small profile.

[AKRISONER]

1 hour ago, Gil Levesque said:

I have 4 yrs. Old BPS auto inflate! Love it! How often should I change the C02 cylinder! No rust on it ,looks great??

I did a bunch of research on this and literally couldnt find any specific reference to a defined expiry for them. I found it weird but i was certain that I was supposed to be re-arming mine at some sort of frequency. then when i looked into it, it always just said inspect the thing and make sure you store them correctly...

 

maybe someone knows better than I? But im pretty certain that if the thing is armed and the "status" indicator is green and good to go, you have nothing to worry about.

[AKRISONER]

10 hours ago, BillM said:

I need to pic up some auto ones for the oldman and I.  Definitely before the spring.

Ive got my dad wearing one all of the time now. His balance aint what it used to be even when sitting in the boat walleye fishing, its when you catch a fish and he reaches for the net and stumbles etc. Always glad hes wearing one now.

[wkrp]

Dont leave the dock without one.

[BillM]

23 hours ago, AKRISONER said:

Ive got my dad wearing one all of the time now. His balance aint what it used to be even when sitting in the boat walleye fishing, its when you catch a fish and he reaches for the net and stumbles etc. Always glad hes wearing one now.

Same with my dad.  Balance is going, I don't trust him sitting back there even in a chair, lol.

[John Bacon]

On 12/9/2019 at 8:09 PM, Fisherman said:

Not to sound like a pessimist but what are the chances, slip fall, boink your head and the darn thing doesn't auto inflate.  I like the old tried and true jacket style pdf and in cold weather, a float coat.

Pretty slim in my opinion.  The chance of one or the other happening is not too low.  But, the chance of both happening together is very unlikely.

[Freshtrax]

I hadn't put a jacket on in years... apart for that one day in pikeslayers boat (21ft starcraft takin em over the bow) ..it all changed the day my son was born I now wear auto inflate cabellas branded.   Super comfy feel like an idiot for not wearing  it for the last 20 years. 

[Sinker]

I have the cabela's model auto inflates. I don't know the exact one, but i wear it all the time now. Like Brian said, many times I've got in the truck to drive home, and still have it on. I don't even notice it. Its comfy, and fits me, and Lori great, and we've even had kids wear them properly and comfortably. 

This fall i was duck hunting, and accidentally pulled the cord. It inflated, but not fully, for some time. It was a very cold day though (-10 ish), so keep that in mind on cold days. Its slow to inflate fully. It did inflate enough to float a person, but it wasn't fully inflated for about a minute or so. 

Mine says to replace the cartridge every 2 years. 

 

S. 

[misfish]

1 hour ago, Sinker said:

Like Brian said, many times I've got in the truck to drive home, and still have it on.

And like I said, have gone out with out it.

That is why now, I strap a foam one to the toon . It,s there to put on if and when, I forget. Going back in after being set up sucks.

[Sinker]

1 hour ago, misfish said:

And like I said, have gone out with out it.

That is why now, I strap a foam one to the toon . It,s there to put on if and when, I forget. Going back in after being set up sucks.

I've made it part of my launching procedures. I have it on before the boat is even wet. 

 

S. 

[Canuck]

On 12/11/2019 at 7:58 PM, John Bacon said:

On 12/9/2019 at 8:09 PM, Fisherman said:

Not to sound like a pessimist but what are the chances, slip fall, boink your head and the darn thing doesn't auto inflate.  I like the old tried and true jacket style pdf and in cold weather, a float coat.

Pretty slim in my opinion.  The chance of one or the other happening is not too low.  But, the chance of both happening together is very unlikely.

Like someone said above.  The best reason to have an auto inflate is that you may actually wear it all the time.  The full PDF you will not.  I fish solo a lot and I wear my auto inflate while I am on the boat.  I have Mustang and Nautilus.  The mustangs fit nicer.  Sometime after a long day on the water, I get back to the truck to drive home and realize I am still wearing it. LOL.

[OhioFisherman]

On 12/10/2019 at 10:18 AM, AKRISONER said:

Ive got my dad wearing one all of the time now. His balance aint what it used to be even when sitting in the boat walleye fishing, its when you catch a fish and he reaches for the net and stumbles etc. Always glad hes wearing one now.

What is this balance thing you speak of? LOL