04-23-2020, 05:47 PM
"I unthreaded the cartridge and it had a hole in it. I'm not sure how it had a hole in it and never inflated the vest but it did."
Vest are reusable, so once the cartridge is expended you simply repack the vest (replace cartridge kit and repack/fold vest to original condition). I expect the vest had been used before you got it and they never told you. If you had set it off, you would have known, they expand to several times their packed size.
Also, a misunderstanding that many have, it is not the thimble that needs to be replaced, it is the whole kit with thimble and catridge. In fact, while the thimble has the expiration date on it, it is plastic and like all plastic, will never go bad. But the cartridges can have micro holes in them and loose pressure so they are required to be replaced once in a while. The thimble and cartridge are sold as a package. If you find the thimbles on Amazon or Ebay by themselves, don't get them.
I have used the A/M versions (Automatic/Manual) for many years, and I use to replace the kits on the date. But, I saved the old ones and tested them out a couple of years after their expiration dates, and they were fine. For the most part, the dates are "lawyer proofing", but I guess you don't want to risk your life on that one in who knows how many chance they go bad.
I still advise changing the kits once they expire, but I won't skip a fishing trip to get a kit if they are one or two months expired. Best advice is if you have one, get it now, open it up, see if it has a cartridge, make sure the cartridge is actually installed, make sure the date has not expired.
And NO, the automatic one does not go off if it gets wet, it is water pressure that sets it off. You must be submerged about 30" in water for it to go off. I have been in frog chocker rain that has soaked me and the vest many times without problem. But one time holding the vest down in the water and you will be shocked at how fast it works.
Vest are reusable, so once the cartridge is expended you simply repack the vest (replace cartridge kit and repack/fold vest to original condition). I expect the vest had been used before you got it and they never told you. If you had set it off, you would have known, they expand to several times their packed size.
Also, a misunderstanding that many have, it is not the thimble that needs to be replaced, it is the whole kit with thimble and catridge. In fact, while the thimble has the expiration date on it, it is plastic and like all plastic, will never go bad. But the cartridges can have micro holes in them and loose pressure so they are required to be replaced once in a while. The thimble and cartridge are sold as a package. If you find the thimbles on Amazon or Ebay by themselves, don't get them.
I have used the A/M versions (Automatic/Manual) for many years, and I use to replace the kits on the date. But, I saved the old ones and tested them out a couple of years after their expiration dates, and they were fine. For the most part, the dates are "lawyer proofing", but I guess you don't want to risk your life on that one in who knows how many chance they go bad.
I still advise changing the kits once they expire, but I won't skip a fishing trip to get a kit if they are one or two months expired. Best advice is if you have one, get it now, open it up, see if it has a cartridge, make sure the cartridge is actually installed, make sure the date has not expired.
And NO, the automatic one does not go off if it gets wet, it is water pressure that sets it off. You must be submerged about 30" in water for it to go off. I have been in frog chocker rain that has soaked me and the vest many times without problem. But one time holding the vest down in the water and you will be shocked at how fast it works.