Due to recent tragic events around the area, including my neighbor, I have been looking into auto inflating PFD's.
I am a good swimmer, but I know that in an accident it can be impossible to fight currents...
does anyone out there reccommend any specific brand or model that they like to fish with....any to stay away from?
I am looking at some auto inflate PFD's from cabelas, they start at 69 and have some for 100 bucks,
thanks for any feedback or suggestions..
match
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All of the auto inflates such as SOSpenders, Cabelas, or Mustang are great units and very comfortable to wear. You will never see me out on my boat without one. I insist that all my passengers do the same. It is the obligation of the owner or captain to keep his or her passengers safe at all times.
My condolences on your loss. Very tragic.
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I like the ones you have to pull the ripcord on a little better my self. That is what I wear.
The auto inflates inflate when they get wet..........
and I have heard that there are lot's of times they get wet without you getting thrown overboard annd POOF! there you are in the boat with an inflated vest.
Like to fish in the rain? Will an auto inflate ..... inflate?
I have heard of people leaving them in thier boat, it rains and they find them inflated in the morning,
Wave comes over the bow Poof! you get the picture.
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But, the idea is, if you are knocked unconscious. If you are just thrown from a boat or it just tips over, you can put a floating vest on, even if it is cold, but if you get hit in the head, you are not going to pull that cord.
Several of my friends use them on the Green.
I still prefer the regular vest. One with pockets is even better.
MATCH, here is some things to think about on those CO2 savers
1) As opposed to conventional, inherently buoyant PFDs, these are high-tech devices. They will not provide buoyancy until they’re inflated. This imposes a higher level of responsibility on the user. They MUST be carefully inspected before each use to see that the inflator mechanism is armed and in good condition. The bladder must not leak, and the user must be familiar with its use and operation. This is a big difference from using a conventional PFD. That's also why they’re not approved for use with persons less than 16 years old.
2) They are not recommended for swift water sports (white water) or any activity where the user will probably get soaked (personal watercraft, sailboards).
3) Cold weather adversely affects the operation of these PFDs. While the CO2 cartridge will fully inflate the vest most of the year, in extremely cold temperatures the same amount of gas will not expand to the same volume, reducing the vest’s buoyancy.
4) While they are designed to auto-inflate only when immersed in water and not by rain or high humidity, the ‘pill/bobbin’ material can break down under these conditions and activate the inflator.
5) Inflatable PFDs provide no protection from hypothermia.
6) Since there is a slight delay from immersion to inflation, they are not recommended for non-swimmers.
7) An inflatable MUST be worn as the outermost layer. Never wear a coat or rain gear over these vests.
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Match, I was really sorry to hear about the boating accident. What a tragic event, especially for the kids on board. God bless all!
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Forgiven, I have an auto SOSpenders that I've had for at least 10 years and worn it in the boat during many a downpour and it has never gone off.
The only time it went off was in my storage compartment when the ripcord got tangled up and accidently pulled. I would rather have the auto in case I went out of the boat and was unconscious.
Of course, some of my partners say I'm unconscious when I'm driving my boat. [crazy]
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[quote Bassnbob]Forgiven, I have an auto SOSpenders that I've had for at least 10 years and worn it in the boat during many a downpour and it has never gone off.
The only time it went off was in my storage compartment when the ripcord got tangled up and accidently pulled. I would rather have the auto in case I went out of the boat and was unconscious.
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+1 I've had and worn my SOSpenders for years without incident with release in a downpour! I fish alone a lot and in some incredibly bad weather. I really feel better rain or shine with an auto-inflate!
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I can see the advantage for sure if they don't "nuisance" inflate on ya. I have been told that they do but I don't have any personal experiance with them.
Sounds like you guys have had good experiances with them so hey! good deal.
I had mine inflate on me when I stood up in my float tube & the rip cord got caught in the apron. I looked like a sage grouse!
UFG is right, the type that don't need to inflate are safer & more foolproof. They can be awful uncomfortable to wear all day if you don't get the right style. They don't work if your knocked out either if you don't have it on because it is too hot or itchy.
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Right you are. I don't think of being knocked out because I am on a pontoon, but anything can happen, even medical mishaps.
However, on a river...no exception, you MUST wear one and you are right to get a comfortable one.
These are great and storage included.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templa...hasJS=true
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That looks pretty comfy!
One of those would work great with my pontoon but might be a little troublesome in my old - school round float tube.
Yeah you got wear one in a float tube in Idaho when the lake is over something like 200 acres. I found out the hard way when I got thrown off CJ Strike once because I was not wearing one. [frown]
The guy said "I can give you an $80.00 ticket or you can get out of the water & go get a PFD" I chose the latter.
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You always need one with you wether you are wearing it or not, but you must wear them on moving water.
You should also have a whistle/horn, compass and a rope. Coast Guard laws.
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The guy with the badge in the sherrif boat at Strike told me that in a float tube or pontoon kick boat on any lake 200 acres or more you have to be WEARING the PFD. He said you don't have to have it on in a boat however.I just wear the inflatable all the time & don't worry about it
Don't know if that is correct but that is what he told me.
I was in my pontoon with an electric motor and had a throwable PDF with me (which would have been legal if I was in a boat )., He said that was not good enough.
I just wear the inflatable all the time and don't worry about it...
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First off, you need a vest of some sort. The cushions are only in addition to vests on a boat. The cushion isn't going to be enough.
"Boats less than 16 feet long, as well as canoes and kayaks of any length, must have a vest style at a minimum which is Type I, Type II, or Type III PFD for each person on board. A Type IV cushion or ring buoy will not meet this requirement.
Boats 16 feet and longer (except canoes and kayaks of any length) must meet the above requirements, plus they must have a Type IV PFD on board."
Fly-fishing float tubes do not require PFDs on lakes with less than 200 surface acres. Fly-fishing pontoons do require PFDs on all Idaho waters.
It does not read that you must be wearing one. Just like Canoes and Kayaks.
Exceptions are PWC's and children 14 and under on certain sized boats.
That law is pretty much the same as Utahs
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Thanks everyone for the thoughts and Ideas,
comfort is what I am after and I believe that the link FG provided is what I am looking for....
Wading the river is one of my objectives and then having one on with my pontoon...
My neighbor had a head injury and did not survive as his body was later found as he fished the banks of a resevoir,....I am very
I did not meet this man as a friend....his wife and kids told me he loved fishing and was always looking for an excuse to go fishing...
I also know there was an accident near lorenzo bridge where one of three did not survive....a freak accident on american falls resevoir where 4 men died as well... so many accidents have made me realize I can be more responsible about my safety and others
Match
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[quote flygoddess]First off, you need a vest of some sort. The cushions are only in addition to vests on a boat. The cushion isn't going to be enough.
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Boats less than 16 feet long, as well as canoes and kayaks of any length, must have a vest style at a minimum which is Type I, Type II, or Type III PFD for each person on board. A Type IV cushion or ring buoy will not meet this requirement.
Boats 16 feet and longer (except canoes and kayaks of any length) must meet the above requirements, plus they must have a Type IV PFD on board."
Fly-fishing float tubes do not require PFDs on lakes with less than 200 surface acres. Fly-fishing pontoons do require PFDs on all Idaho waters.
It does not read that you must be wearing one. Just like Canoes and Kayaks.
Exceptions are PWC's and children 14 and under on certain sized boats.
That law is pretty much the same as Utahs[/quote]
I stand corrected[
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I bought two of the inflatable vests from Cabelas. What a nightmare. While I imagine they work great, I didn't have them for a month when I was heading out on the Clearwater river and went to get them out from under the bow of my boat, BOTH of them had inflated. Don't know how as they were both stored inside the plastic container they came in and couldn't have gotten wet. I went back to Cabelas to buy some more c02 cartridges at about $25 a pop and the fellow there sold me the wrong ones. Had to go back to get the right ones, which they didn't have in stock. I tried to order some but the guy told me they were already back ordered and would be there in a day or two. Went back a few days later then a week alter then a couple weeks later and they still hadn't come in so I went to the front desk and ordered 4 of them. (Around $100) Two out of the four I ordered were the wrong ones again. The instructions on how to install them are so ridiculous and convoluted that I ended up discharging one of them trying to screw it on. I was so disgusted at that point I took the whole kit and kaboodle back and got a refund for everything. Now I just use a regular vest PFD, and I'm happy as a clam.
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DowntownBrowns, your story is closer to the ones I heard from my Dad................. He fishes the Oregon coast for 2 months or so nearly every summer in his Arriva. Some of his friends had similar experiances.............
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I was under the impression that they are not legal for rivers, or at least in or on a boat. When mentioned friends and the Green, they wade.
I could be wrong on this, but seems there is a chance they won't inflate or some kind of malfunction while on a river that would be unacceptable.
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Inflatable PFDs are legal to use in rivers, but are not recommended for rough water because they are type III devices. The only types recommended for rough water are those huge bulky things that most anglers don't like to wear. You can see the PFD requirements for ID here:
http://www.boat-ed.com/id/course/p4-7_pfds.htm
As for unwanted inflation, it depends on the design of the life preserver. Some of them are better about not inflating under light moisture than others. Some are also easier to rearm than others. You can see a demonstration here:
[url "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRB4lu2Zcaw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRB4lu2Zcaw[/url]
When I lived near Seattle, a guy drowned in one of the lakes I used to fish on a calm day. It was a very small lake, no more than 20 acres. The guy knew how to swim and was not wearing a PFD. They figured he must have lost his balance and somehow hit his head on the boat when he fell overboard.
Personally, I would not rely on any PFD that required action from the wearer to provide flotation. Either get an automatic inflatable, or stick with the foam ones.
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