I have always regarded pfd's with a certain amount of disdain. The list of excuses is long and varied. I have come to the realisation that I am an idiot though. So I need to seek out a new pfd that I will actually wear.
Most importantly it must be comfortable so that I will wear it all the time.
Lskweo, do you have a well-stocked outfitter within reasonable driving distance? Or have one on route when you travel?
For me buying a PFD is like buying a pair of shoes – I have to be able to try one on, walk around the store wearing it, sit in a boat, make some paddle stroke movements, etc. It is not a purchase I could make from a catalog or on-line, I need to visit a brick and mortar outfitter.
There was a time when I did not wear a PFD as a matter of course. I wore one most of the time, but not always; if it was hot and humid, or I was summer paddling the shallow trout stream near home the PFD might ride along in the canoe.
When I started paddling with my young sons it became a “Do as I do” kind of thing and quickly became akin to wearing a seat belt in the car – I snap on the seat belt without thinking about it, even if I am simply turning the truck around in the driveway. The seat belt has become an ingrained habit (although sometimes when I am moving the truck a few feet in the driveway and go to take the seat belt off I do think “Hummm, that was silly”).
Full disclosure: I wear a PFD 95% of the time, and start off wearing one 100% of the time. If it is mid-August, 100F with high humidity and I’m paddling some calm, no-shade coastal bay that is six inches deep I may make the conscious risk management decision to shed the PFD. I do feel oddly naked without it, and will put it back on even in those conditions if it clouds over or the temperature drops.
My problem is that it needs to be less bulky than most with freedom of movement. A couple of pockets to hold a minimal ditch kit would be a super good idea.
Less bulky is a hard target to fulfill and still meet minimum buoyancy requirements. For my preferences it is more a question of how much floatation is distributed where, in what shape and configuration.
That is further complicated because I sit and use a back band; for the back band to be comfortable the foam coverage in the back needs to be either full cut, down to near my waist, or a partial that ends above the back band. If I was a kneeler my requirements would be very different.
I believe that PFD design comfort continues to improve, with better ergonomically positioned adjustment straps at the waist (and shoulders) to custom fit different physiques. Some neoprene or etc paddling at the shoulder straps is a nice non-chafe feature. Mesh panels for breathability. More thoughtful pocket placement and design.
Like you I want a couple of easily accessed, well drained pockets, although I try to keep minimal stuff there (tiny clipped-in-pocket pouch with spare truck keys, lighter and a $20 bill in one, whistle, carabineer, compass and tiny flashlight in the other pocket).
I try, but I’ll often slip in the small digital camera or a monocular once underway. And I always have a folding rescue knife on the lash tab. Trying to self-rescue with those bulging pockets and knife is more problematic than necessary.
Personal PFD choice is akin to selecting some combination of speed, maneuverability, volume, sea worthiness and etc in a boat. Full cut with evenly distributed foam, or mesh partials with thicker panels in strategic areas? Voluminous or slender pockets, or none? How much of a ditch kit to carry in the pockets vs can you get back yourself in the boat?
Some warm weather paddler like having a dromedary feature. I’m a canteen gulper, so no thanks. How much fastwater/whitewater do you run? A full-cut high flotation B52 or the like would be better than a mesh summer PFD, but not for a flatwater trip at the height of summer.
Lash tab? Even the simple position of that wee bit is important. Too low and it may interfere with self-rescue. Too high and it becomes noticeable with some paddle strokes.
I have a question about inflatable or partially inflatable PFD’s – Is there a requirement that they be worn to be legal? I believe that is the case with pull over PFD’s.
