Life jacket suggestions

[BigandSmall]

My fav PFD is a Kokatat Outfit Tour, my son runs the ladies version the MSfit as do a lot of other guys. I would have gone with the ladies version as well but it was just a little tight with layers under it. Other than fit I quite like how the pockets stand off the vest so they're usable and that there's a knife garage on the shoulder strap. If you run a squeeze release knife it sits perfectly upside down there and the tip never gets in the way. My daughter went for comfort and after a lot of research chose the previously suggested MEC Fulcrum guide. It also has very good pockets as well as a good bright colour. I found it to also have great fit but I'm not a big fan of the side entry. I know you said to leave price out but Kokatat has raised their prices a lot. If mine ever dies I'd consider trying that Fulcrum Guide.

 

[Patrick Corry]

I just found this and it helps explain buoyancy values:

Personal Flotation Devices 101 | Great Outdoor Provision Company

Learn how personal flotation devices (PFDs) work, including the concept of pounds of buoyancy. Discover how a PFD can keep you afloat and ensure your safety on the water!

www.greatoutdoorprovision.com

By these calculations, at my weight of 155# I need 7.75# of floatation. At 7.5# foam buoyancy for my Mustang Khimera vest, I guess it'll just barely keep me afloat! I had better be careful, or maybe self-inflate for windy or "wavy" conditions as Glenn suggests in his recent post.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Especially on flatwater/ big lake paddling i like a flat slim front. So me does not hinder a selfrescue. A number of pfd's have a low thick foam that is a pita to get over the gunnels especially with full pockets.

That's what I've referred to as a "pregnancy" life jacket in post #5 above. I strongly dislike them. I liked the foam strip and foam block canoe-specific life jackets of 40-50 years ago, as I wrote about in this thread:

Whatever happened to "canoe" life jackets?

Canoe life JACKETS used to be fairly thin, have a tie around the waist, and come down almost to your hips. They were not like the "kayak" life vests that now proliferate with high cut flotation so that they will fit above a kayak cockpit skirt, nor did they have big protuberant front humps like...

www.canoetripping.net

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

By these calculations, at my weight of 155# I need 7.75# of floatation. At 7.5# foam buoyancy for my Mustang Khimera vest, I guess it'll just barely keep me afloat! I had better be careful, or maybe self-inflate for windy or "wavy" conditions as Glenn suggests in his recent post.

It's easy enough to test, Patrick. Just jump into some warm water and see how well you float. I did that in Blue Spring, Florida, after I got my hybrid vest. The 8 lbs. of foam floated me just fine (as I fearfully watched for gators), and I had no problem blowing the vest to maximum inflation using the mouth tube as I was floating. I probably weighed about 175 lbs. at the time.

I have a picture. I tested the SeaO2 right here on April 14, 2006 at 1:28 pm :



37 minutes later I took a picture of this monster:

 

[SouthernKevlar]

There are many good PFDs out there and designs vary from lightweight non-restrictive PFDs to high-flotation models designed for swift water rescue. I own three different models and will vary my choice based on the type of water that I am paddling, be it a lake, moving water or whitewater.

Safety is the main issue, but comfort is important though. I would suggest a trip to the nearest paddling shop and trying on several models. When I picked out my last PFD, I spent over a couple of hours just walking around the stores wearing the PFDs and stretching to test for comfort and movement. I got a few strange looks, but I think almost everyone there understood, especially the paddlers on the staff. The time spent paid off in the end.

Good luck on finding your next PFD.