Best Inflatable PFD fur running rivers

[hilaker]

Looking to buy a couple of inflatable PFD'S for use when in our Pontoon Boats on the rivers. Any suggestions?

[riley]

If your looking for safety I would go with americas cup vests. get ahold of Riley baxter at Andy and Bax, he can set you up.

[Pelhament]

I wear a Sterns chestpack PFD. It functions as a chestpack with room for fly boxes and what not, but it also has a pull string to inflate it. I got mine at Joes.

[santiamflyguy]

I just got one of the Cabela's Angler Series for $80 on sale. It has both manual and automatic options. Fits well enough that I'll actually wear it when I'm going down the river.

I don't run 'big' water but I will feel a bit safer knowing that if I come around a corner and see a nasty sweeper that I will be able to concentrate on rowing rather than looking for my lifejacket.

I also saw some Stearns waistpack versions that were manual inflation. They were around $70 if I remember right and I'm considering getting a couple for my passengers. A single waist strap is easy enough for even the dimmest of folks to adjust .

[GraphiteZen]

I don't trust inflatables. I had one go off in my bag over night and it was flat by the next morning. Who knows how much or how little time it took to deflate.
In addition, it's possible to get sand, grime or some other matter in the submersion trigger that could affect it's ability to trigger.
The bladders aren't very thick, and are actually a fairly stiff brittle feeling plastic that wouldn't flex much against pressure. If you got bucked off in current and ran into a sharp rock hard enough it could pop IMO.
Anything C02 can leak over time etc etc etc....
There are just too many mechanical pieces to trust my life on.
I also found them to be pretty uncomfortable.. Everyone says that they aren't but to me it felt like wrapping a rolled up towel around my shoulders.
I feel much better with a typical wakeboarding vest. They are plenty buoyant very low profile, can actually keep you warmer in the winter and I KNOW it's going to float. Half the price and I don't have to replace the C02 cartridge every year at $15 a pop.

[santiamflyguy]

I am not sure how much I trust it either, but then again, even a 50% reliable device that you wear all the time has a better chance at saving your butt than a 100% reliable one that you leave under the seat box.

I'm going to keep my regular jacket in the boat for use in heavy water.

[AndyK]

Originally Posted by santiamflyguy

I am not sure how much I trust it either, but then again, even a 50% reliable device that you wear all the time has a better chance at saving your butt than a 100% reliable one that you leave under the seat box.

I'm going to keep my regular jacket in the boat for use in heavy water.

That pretty much sums it up for me.

[hilaker]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I believe that I have changed my mind about getting inflatable's.

[USCGBoating]

Interesting but sad thread, I have a significant amount of experience with inflatables and I respectfully disagree. I am not trying to sway anyone away from wearing an inherently buoyant lifejacket if that is one they are comfortable with and will wear but there are some significant benefits to inflatables.

One thing to note; Inflatable lifejackets are currently not approved for whitewater application however, on the majority of rivers that have simply swift water or class I or less they work pretty good. I have 6 and use some in my drift boat as well as on my bigger boat. I have done so for 8 years now and never had a problem.

Anything mechanical is only as good as the maintenance. Yes, the firing mechanism can get dirty but they are very protected and you would really have to make an effort to get enough sand, dirt, etc in the mechanism to cause it to jam and fail to inflate; they are pretty simple devises by design and if proper maintenance is done this will never happen.

If an inflatable went off in a bag it was more than likely an auto inflator and was put in there wet or was a manual device that got jostled around. I would be interested in knowing the brand and model to look into that. There are specific instructions on how to take care of your inflatable attached to the device when you purchase it that can help you avoid something like this from happening.

Something to consider that may have caused the device to deflate over night, CO2 bottle not fully seating in the inflator or something pushing down on the oral inflator device. Over time CO2 will also escape and that is why the oral inflation tube is attached, to maintain inflation of very long periods of time if necessary.

Material… you pay for what you get but the inflation bags are required, by regulation, to be made from rip stop nylon and therefore harder than most fabrics but this is there to decrease the likelihood of ripping or rubbing a hole in it.

Buoyancy; that wake board vest you mentioned only has 15 lbs of inherent buoyancy. Any inflatable collar device that is a type II, and in some similar designed type III devices or belt packs can have over 30 lbs of buoyancy. Check the purchase package and the buoyancy will be printed right on the front.

Again, it is personal preference but my two cents is don’t count it out without trying it out. If you are interested borrow a buddies and take it t the pool. Seeing is believing.


Dan

[GraphiteZen]

Originally Posted by USCGBoating

Interesting but sad thread, I have a significant amount of experience with inflatables and I respectfully disagree. I am not trying to sway anyone away from wearing an inherently buoyant lifejacket if that is one they are comfortable with and will wear but there are some significant benefits to inflatables.

One thing to note; Inflatable lifejackets are currently not approved for whitewater application however, on the majority of rivers that have simply swift water or class I or less they work pretty good. I have 6 and use some in my drift boat as well as on my bigger boat. I have done so for 8 years now and never had a problem.

Anything mechanical is only as good as the maintenance. Yes, the firing mechanism can get dirty but they are very protected and you would really have to make an effort to get enough sand, dirt, etc in the mechanism to cause it to jam and fail to inflate; they are pretty simple devises by design and if proper maintenance is done this will never happen.

If an inflatable went off in a bag it was more than likely an auto inflator and was put in there wet or was a manual device that got jostled around. I would be interested in knowing the brand and model to look into that. There are specific instructions on how to take care of your inflatable attached to the device when you purchase it that can help you avoid something like this from happening.

Something to consider that may have caused the device to deflate over night, CO2 bottle not fully seating in the inflator or something pushing down on the oral inflator device. Over time CO2 will also escape and that is why the oral inflation tube is attached, to maintain inflation of very long periods of time if necessary.

Material… you pay for what you get but the inflation bags are required, by regulation, to be made from rip stop nylon and therefore harder than most fabrics but this is there to decrease the likelihood of ripping or rubbing a hole in it.

Buoyancy; that wake board vest you mentioned only has 15 lbs of inherent buoyancy. Any inflatable collar device that is a type II, and in some similar designed type III devices or belt packs can have over 30 lbs of buoyancy. Check the purchase package and the buoyancy will be printed right on the front.

Again, it is personal preference but my two cents is don’t count it out without trying it out. If you are interested borrow a buddies and take it t the pool. Seeing is believing.


Dan

Well you can't argue with that. Especially from the Coast Guard. Your points about proper maintenance, the notations of buoyancy and what would obviously be a superior type of material for the bladder are well taken.

The vest that blew was a SOSpender. It was in a large bag not packed in very tight and was left in the rain. I assumed that water pooled up around the trigger device and set it off, but I found that hard to imagine as there would have to be a pool significant in size as the trigger was sealed inside the vest with the rest of the bladder. Your suggestion that it might have blown because of excessive moisture is right on the money.

Out of curiosity, I pulled the vest out of storage. I haven't touched it since the incident in the bag, aside from removing the C02 cartridge.

There is a tag that clearly states:
"This PFD may inflate prematurely when:
Subjected to splashing
In high humidity
In heavy fog
In the rain"

When I purchased the vest it was explained to me that it would inflate after being submerged in water for more than 10 seconds. However, all the warnings and descriptions of how to use it properly are printed clearly on the outside of the vest, it was up to me as the owner to know these things. The seller was simply trying to explain the auto inflate in terms I he thought I would understand.

The manual inflate consists of a tube with a cap and a one way valve. You blow air in and the pressure then forces an internal gasket to close.
I blew it up 10 minutes ago and not a bit of air has leaked out since then, and it doesn't appear that any ever will. As I said the only thing I have done is remove the C02 cartridge so somehow over time it must have become unscrewed. A very important point for any users of inflatables. Anyone who had shot a C02 pellet gun in their life knows that it takes less than a 1/4 turn to cause a significant break in the seal.

The vest I currently am using is in fact a Type III. Next thing on the list is finding one with more a little more buoyancy as I do prefer the jacket type. Thank you for setting me straight, very important points! And to anyone I provided with very bad advice, don't listen to me!

Anyone want to buy a used SOSpender in perfectly good condition?

[GraphiteZen]

I want to add that I feel like a bit of a chode for giving out such bad advice. My intentions were to assure safety, but I failed in making myself aware that both types in fact did not provide similar amounts of buoyancy.

[Pelhament]

Originally Posted by GraphiteZen

Anyone want to buy a used SOSpender in perfectly good condition?

If you are serious let me know. I am looking at getting a couple for riding around in my bass boat.

[USCGBoating]

Originally Posted by GraphiteZen

Well you can't argue with that. Especially from the Coast Guard. Your points about proper maintenance, the notations of buoyancy and what would obviously be a superior type of material for the bladder are well taken.

The vest that blew was a SOSpender. It was in a large bag not packed in very tight and was left in the rain. I assumed that water pooled up around the trigger device and set it off, but I found that hard to imagine as there would have to be a pool significant in size as the trigger was sealed inside the vest with the rest of the bladder. Your suggestion that it might have blown because of excessive moisture is right on the money.

Out of curiosity, I pulled the vest out of storage. I haven't touched it since the incident in the bag, aside from removing the C02 cartridge.

There is a tag that clearly states:
"This PFD may inflate prematurely when:
Subjected to splashing
In high humidity
In heavy fog
In the rain"

When I purchased the vest it was explained to me that it would inflate after being submerged in water for more than 10 seconds. However, all the warnings and descriptions of how to use it properly are printed clearly on the outside of the vest, it was up to me as the owner to know these things. The seller was simply trying to explain the auto inflate in terms I he thought I would understand.

The manual inflate consists of a tube with a cap and a one way valve. You blow air in and the pressure then forces an internal gasket to close.
I blew it up 10 minutes ago and not a bit of air has leaked out since then, and it doesn't appear that any ever will. As I said the only thing I have done is remove the C02 cartridge so somehow over time it must have become unscrewed. A very important point for any users of inflatables. Anyone who had shot a C02 pellet gun in their life knows that it takes less than a 1/4 turn to cause a significant break in the seal.

The vest I currently am using is in fact a Type III. Next thing on the list is finding one with more a little more buoyancy as I do prefer the jacket type. Thank you for setting me straight, very important points! And to anyone I provided with very bad advice, don't listen to me!

Anyone want to buy a used SOSpender in perfectly good condition?

The SOSpender auto inflatables inflate by a small pill that dissolves when doused in water. Some of the Mustang auto inflatables have a cellulose bobbin that dissolves in the same manner. Those should be checked regularlyand changed out every year. Mustang now has a hydrostatic auto inflation device that has to be under 4 inches of solid water befor it will discharge and is not affected by moisture. As they evolve they will get better.

Dan

[FishonDon]

When floating to fish I carry both a munual inflatable PDF for wading, (get the one with 35 pounds of bouyancy if you are a big guy), and a regular white water vest for running class III or larger white water. I figure if I'm in a class III or larger rapid and flip, I may be in too much of a panic to pull the rip chord of an inflatable. But for wading, I like the reduced bulk of the inflatable. By the way several PDFs offer only 22 pounds of bouyancy.

I have never had to pull the chord on my inflatable, and I too wonder if it will still work a few years after the purchase, but the key is to maintain it, and it should work just fine.

[Wiggley1]

Dumb question.

Do I need something on me or can I use the seat cushion type that I keep behind my seat on my pontoon boat?

[USCGBoating]

Originally Posted by Wiggley1

Dumb question.

Do I need something on me or can I use the seat cushion type that I keep behind my seat on my pontoon boat?

If you are on a boat you have to have a Coast Guard approved type I, II, or III lifejacket, readily acccesable, and must fit the intended wearer. The type IV or throwable one is required on all boats 16 feet and over and is in addition to the wearable lifejackets.

Dan

[Grain of Salt]

Dan- thanks for all your input, good to hear it from the professionals.

I searched but couldn't find a thread giving the manual versus automatic debate...In my case mostly offshore. I know it is a personal choice, but in yours and the Coast Guards experience which is most effective in typical situations.
I am leaning on manuals as I am a K.I.S.S. sorta guy.

Thanks again.

PS your input on this thread sold me on finally getting inflatibles

pps...refined my search and found info on the salt board but would still appreciate your 2 cents.

[USCGBoating]

Originally Posted by Grain of Salt

Dan- thanks for all your input, good to hear it from the professionals.

I searched but couldn't find a thread giving the manual versus automatic debate...In my case mostly offshore. I know it is a personal choice, but in yours and the Coast Guards experience which is most effective in typical situations.
I am leaning on manuals as I am a K.I.S.S. sorta guy.

Thanks again.

PS your input on this thread sold me on finally getting inflatibles

pps...refined my search and found info on the salt board but would still appreciate your 2 cents.

I have both and tend to put the auto infators on those who do not have much water experience or have never experienced a sudden immersion in cold water. For the individual it really comes down to what you are comfortable with. I have jumped in with both on and I can see the benifit of the auto infaltor style. Lots of times it just plain comes down to cost. regardless of which one you choose I recommend going to a pool and seeing how they work. Makes it much easier in an emergency if you know exactly how the device will operate and how you will react.

Dan

[moman]

I have and wear both (not at the same time) and beleive that for lakes rivers other than whitewater, the inflatables are great. As has been said, I actually wear them becuase they don't restrict motion. In the driftboat, for whitewater or sweeper-laden water like our local creeks, I do not wear the inflatable. Despite the quality of the inflatable, I never want to find myself tangled underwater in a sweeper (and I have) with something that loses its bouyancy when it tears.

[Acer]

As my old pappy used to say...
"Son, never buy cheap ladders, helmets or life jackets"
Just say'n
AC

[USCGBoating]

Originally Posted by moman

I have and wear both (not at the same time) and beleive that for lakes rivers other than whitewater, the inflatables are great. As has been said, I actually wear them becuase they don't restrict motion. In the driftboat, for whitewater or sweeper-laden water like our local creeks, I do not wear the inflatable. Despite the quality of the inflatable, I never want to find myself tangled underwater in a sweeper (and I have) with something that loses its bouyancy when it tears.

One thing to remember its that inflatables are not rated for white water use. Make sure you read the label to make sure there are no restrictions to its use.

Dan