Check Inflatable Life Jackets

[elkantlers]

Everyone go check your inflatable life jackets. I had a real brain fart. I bought a boat a couple years ago that came with 3 Inflatable life jackets, As well as several regular vests. One Inflatable was out of the package and the other two were brand new still in the plastic. I never owned an inflatable jacket before but liked the idea of wearing one since they are not cumbersome at all like a normal Vest. So, I pulled one of the new Inflatables out of the package and started wearing it. I wore it every trip last year. Well, I was talking with my father in law and he said we should check the Vests because you need to change something out every few years. I did a little research and found that the Bobbin needs to be replaced at least every three years and more if you use it regularly. Well, I opened up the vest that I wore all last year to look and the air cartridge wasn't even threaded into the actuator. Apparently I was supposed to do that when I took it out of the package. That was totally my fault and i should have known better. The other vest that was already out of the package when we bought the boat had the air cartridge threaded into the actuator but I could see that the red warning indicator was out. 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. So, The moral of this story is to check your equipment and make sure everything is ready to go. I ordered new charging kits and will replace the Bobbins every year just in Case. Hopefully everyone else's Inflatables are good but I would be willing to bet that there are others our there that have issues that they don't know about.

[Boatloadakids]

Good info. Most inflatable vests have a manual inflate tube located in a velcro pocket opposite the auto inflate cartridge. I always check and update my auto inflate cartridges as needed; good idea to know how to access and use the manual inflate... just in case.

Safety first, the vest is useless unless you wear it.

[Anglinarcher]

"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.  

[Tin-Can]

Everything Anglinarcher said   darn right . I personally operationaly tested my auto inflating PFD at Mantua last year. Not on purpose, but I got "tossed" off the back of my boat. Fortunately it was August (I think) at least it was warm, I wasn't moving. And my PFD went off just as advertised.  I had owned that one for 6 or 7 years, and had been in the habit of replacing the whole charging kit every 2 years. Each time I replaced it, I would pull the manual lanyard, inflate the vest, and let it sit a few days to be sure there were no leaks. Then deflate it, install the new cylinder and thimble, pack it all away, and ready for the next 2 seasons. I never did actually have it on when I inflated it those times. So when I got launched off the boat last summer I learned something valuable. The size of auto inflating PFD you use really needs to be a good fit to your body size. Mine inflated, so I knew I wouldn't drown. But it inflated up so tight around my neck, it almost strangled me instead. Had to unbuckle it to release the pressure on my neck. Then once I got a good hand hold on the boat, had to take it off in order to climb back in over the motor. 
I have since moved up in size.  The right size auto inflating PFD can be rather spendy, BUT HOW MUCH IS YOUR LIFE or the life of a family member worth ? 
Elkantlers, if you still have the packaging that the new ones came in, there should be an owners manual in them. I recommend you keep that somewhere for future reference. And not all CO2 recharging kits are the same. When you do buy one, be sure it is the type required by YOUR vests. 

[Kent]

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. 

I don't think that this statement is accurate. "An automatic PFD will inflate when the water-soluble bobbin comes in contact with water releasing a spring-loaded pin that punctures the CO2."  You didn't inflate it in the rain because the PFD is designed so that water falling on top and sides of the vest will not reach the bobbin.  I have put an old bobbin in some water and that bobbin dissolves like an Alka Seltzer.

[elkantlers]

After doing a little research, the alka seltzer analogy is the way I understand it.

[Boatloadakids]

There are several types and brands of auto-inflate pfds. Fit, comfort, reliability and function are all considerations when buying... well, cost too, maybe. I think Kent was right on in his descritpion of how they inflate... at least that is how mine inflate. The cartridge and bobbin are shielded from rain but they inflate as soon as water touches the bobbin. Mine inflated on me when i fell getting out of my kayak... scared the crap out of me as it was late at night and I knew the Utah Lake monster had me for sure. Another time in my kayak I took mine off to shed my coat and in the process the vest touched the water and exploded open. I happened to be fishing with Tube Dude at the time and he had to blab all about my misfortune, along with a photo, on the BFT board.

I agree with Forest, get the best you can afford... safety is not something to skimp on. My vests are made by Mustang and they cost over $200 each. They are durable and have served me very well for several years. Again, ya gotta wear 'em... Nothing der than a tragic drowning where vests were available but not worn.

[Anglinarcher]

OK, I may have not kept up with technology.  Mine would not dissolve; it had the more expensive pressure sensor.  It was a Mustang.

If they dissolve, it had better dissolve pretty fast.  I will need to do some more research on that, if I ever buy another one.

[Tin-Can]

[font]They DO dissolve quick , when I launched off my boat last year I was in about 4 fow, south - east pocket of Mantua. I had gone in head first, and I have a vivid memory of my head coming back above the surface and at the same time wondering why my vest had not inflated, then.............POW.....it inflated. Total time in the water from impact to inflate couldn't have been more than 10 seconds.[font]

Hey Lynn, I think I remember hearing about the episode falling in the dark, but I never knew about the one with Pat.........looking back those incidents can be funny, maybe even a bit embarrassing maybe. But they are all good examples of how valuable a auto inflating PFD is.  I switched from a standard life jacket to an auto inflating one the same week that the man drowned at Willard several years ago. Where his boat was found still running at the wall, his life jacket still in the boat, but he wasn't found and recovered for about 3 days.
I not only switched to auto inflating pfd's in my boat, but made a hard and fast rule for ALL boat occupants.......If you are in the boat, your PFD is correctly worn. And have stuck to that rule ever since. Darn glad I did last year [/font]

[RockyRaab2]

I leak-check mine by using the manual inflate tube.

I can find replacement CO2 cylinders for under $10 - but the "recharge kits" are double that - and the only thing in them besides the cylinder is the little green plastic safety button (mine is a manual vest, no bobbin.)

[dubob]

There appears to be two types of automatic inflating PFD vests available to boaters.  One uses Hydrostatic Inflate Technology (HIT) which uses water pressure to actuate the inflate function.  This eliminates any chance of the vest auto inflation from any source of moisture.  These are expensive and cost over $200 each.

The other type uses a water soluble bobbin that dissolves in about 2 to 3 seconds to actuate the inflate function.  These are the most common types and can be purchased for about $90 up to about $160 - depending on brand and features.

Cabela's/BPS sells both types and the cost runs from About $90 up to $250. I have 4 of the water bobbin types from Cabela's that I bought on sale for around $70 each 5 or 6 years ago.  I used to store them in a below the deck storage box until the moisture level in that box inflated one in storage.  The higher humidity level below deck was enough to erode the bobbin enough to set it off.  They are now stored in an above deck seat box and have never inflated in storage there.

[elkantlers]

Good Info Dubob. It looks like Anglinarcher was correct for his type of Vest.
I know that I am not going to wear a regular flotation vest all the time just because they are so uncomfortable. But wearing one of the inflatables is not uncomfortable at all. I'm Just glad I got this all straightened out before I was floating in the water wondering why my vest didn't inflate.

[AFDan52]

  Just another piece of infomation about these life Vests in question , I use this type of vest and check mine every year. My experiance is early last year I was preparing to go fishing and was doing my pre-trip check of equipment and tackle , when I got to the bow I had realized that I had left my Inflatable Life Vests in the boat from the last trip. What I found was that both of my vests had deployed due to the heat from being under my boat cover . I researched this problem and learned that I shouldn't have done that , Heat causes the vest to deploy. So if you leave your vest in your boat be sure it is in a cool place . Lesson learned.

[lovetofish]

Thanks for the heads up info. I'll check mine out ASAP.

[dubob]

I researched this problem and learned that I shouldn't have done that , Heat causes the vest to deploy. So if you leave your vest in your boat be sure it is in a cool place . Lesson learned.

I didn't know that; thanks for pointing it out to us.  Do you by any chance have a link to that information about heat deployment?  I'd like to read it to increase my already overloaded knowledge database.  

I know from experience that high levels of humidity (moisture) will set them off, but had never seen that about heat.

[AFDan52]

Hi dubob , The research I did wasn't much. What I found was www.Inflatables.com/FAQ , this is a piece that I borrowed from the site. I know it talks about not leaving your vest in a car , but trust me it will deploy under the boat cover just sitting in the sun. Also the CO2 Cartridge has a Warning on it  ( DO NOT HEAT ) .How do you recommend storing an inflatable life vest
Almost every time we hear someone's life vest went off prematurely we give them the same advice.
1) Never store your inflatable in a floor cubby on your boat. Water likes to get in these areas and it gets humid.
2) Don't leave your inflatable in your car. Cars can get very hot and humid, causing the vests to inflate.

3) If you can, bring your inflatable inside the home with you.

4) As a precaution, when storing your inflatable for the off season, remove the CO2 canister. That way if the bobbin goes bad, you don't waste the canister.

[dubob]

Hi dubob , The research I did wasn't much. What I found was www.Inflatables.com/FAQ , this is a piece that I borrowed from the site. I know it talks about not leaving your vest in a car , but trust me it will deploy under the boat cover just sitting in the sun. Also the CO2 Cartridge has a Warning on it  ( DO NOT HEAT ) .How do you recommend storing an inflatable life vest
Almost every time we hear someone's life vest went off prematurely we give them the same advice.
1) Never store your inflatable in a floor cubby on your boat. Water likes to get in these areas and it gets humid.  Been there; done that; won't do it again.   
2) Don't leave your inflatable in your car. Cars can get very hot and humid, causing the vests to inflate.  The key word here is probably humid, and is the real cause of the inflation.
3) If you can, bring your inflatable inside the home with you.  My boat is always stored in a shed out of direct sunlight, so heat and humidity build up isn't a real problem for me.  I just leave everything in the boat and never use the boat cover.
4) As a precaution, when storing your inflatable for the off season, remove the CO2 canister. That way if the bobbin goes bad, you don't waste the canister. Now that is an excellent idea. Why didn't didn't I think of that?

Thank you kind Sir; much appreciated.  Hope everybody else was paying attention as well.  I'm going to inspect my cartridges and bobbins today for expiration dates.   

[RockyRaab2]

The problem is that you can't buy just the bobbins or just the green safety plugs, if I read correctly. You CAN buy just the CO2 cylinder, but if the bobbin or plug goes bad, you now have two cylinders but no bobbin/plug. If you buy a recharge kit, the same thing - one excess cylinder you can't use or try. The system is predicated on you not replacing the cylinder unle3s you replace everything the bobbin/plug as well.

[dubob]

The problem is that you can't buy just the bobbins or just the green safety plugs, if I read correctly. You CAN buy just the CO2 cylinder, but if the bobbin or plug goes bad, you now have two cylinders but no bobbin/plug. If you buy a recharge kit, the same thing - one excess cylinder you can't use or try. The system is predicated on you not replacing the cylinder unle3s you replace everything the bobbin/plug as well.

You can buy just the bobbins but not locally.  You would need to contact the company that makes the vest.  For instance, Mustang lists them and shows Sportsman's Warehouse and Cabela's as dealers for their products.  But checking either stores website doesn't show they carry just the bobbin.  Also, I think (but don't know for sure) that the bobbins might be a universal fit for most brands.  Here is what the Mustang website shows for just the bobbins (click to enlarge):

[elkantlers]

3 bobbins for $23
https://www.amazon.com/Inflatable-PFD-Bo...03&sr=8-10