PFD's?

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by Don C L

OK, I know I am the outlier on this one too, and I think the auto-inflate PFD and harness is a good choice, but I am happy with my old PFD vest from river guiding days. On river trips we wear them all day long, even when it's hot, and, sure they are a bit bulky, but mine is comfortable, carries a knife, whistle and PLB and I can swim in it, which I count as a big plus. I put my harness on underneath it and the ring is accessible out the front of the vest. Most PFDs give you a lot of flotation, maybe even 45 lbs! But the majority of that is over your chest so that you'll float chest up. And that means most, or all, of your body has to be submerged before the flotation takes full effect. Whatever you have, try it out so you'll know what to expect before you ever have to use it. Just another perspective.

Floating face up is intentional. They want you to be able to breath even if you’re unconscious.

I tested Type 1,2&3s long ago out of personal curiousity.
Type 1 almost always put you face up if you went limp.
Type2 was 70-30ish in favor of face up.
Type-3 always put you face down.

I assume type-5 (inflatables) will act like a type2

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by ChrisJHC

Huh? I just rearmed mine a month ago.

Yes but it’s not approved by hammar. They state it should be rearmed.
By a dealer

( edit : I do note their latest information does not now say that anymore )

And in my opinion it’s a lot more awkward then the conventional ones and hard to verify if done correctly, I removed all my hammar hydrostatics a while ago

( also difficult to find the rearming kits imho )

[Rob_P]

Originally Posted by Don C L

OK, I know I am the outlier on this one too, and I think the auto-inflate PFD and harness is a good choice...

For some reason I agree with you.



Now, about that "better yet, I'll race you" thing that you mentioned (which might be in another thread); if I crew on your boat for a wet Wednesday and I'm in the bow pulpit and you're at the helm when we cross the finish line...



Did I beat you to the finish?

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by jackdale

Add a crotch strap to the inflatable pfd if it does not have one already.

Bears repeating!! PFD is USELESS without crotch straps. Just read the Fastnet '79 report and note how many sailors died by falling out of their life jackets I can't believe PFD's are even made without crotch straps, more than 40 years (!) after the Fastnet disaster .

Originally Posted by jackdale

My inflatable also has a pouch with a flashlight and rigging knife. I replaced the cheap whistle with a Fox 40 and I have a personal AIS installed inside the pfd.

I carry a lot of stuff in my PFD:

1. AIS/DSC MOB beacon (rigged to go off automatically in case the jacket inflates).

2. PLB

3. Light (on a stalk; deploys automatically).

4. Rigging knife.

5. Emergency tether-cutting knife (not much hope of actually managing to use it in case going over tethered, but still)

6. Whistle.


7. Torch cum strobe.


Sometimes I keep a handheld VHF clipped on to it, also.

I use this compact 170N one from Spinlock:



With the optional chest pack:



And highly recommend it. It's so comfortable that you hardly notice you have it on; therefore you find yourself wearing it more often.

For really bad weather or when I'm wearing heavy clothing, I have a pair of bigger 300N PFD's from Seago.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Rob_P

For some reason I agree with you.



Now, about that "better yet, I'll race you" thing that you mentioned (which might be in another thread); if I crew on your boat for a wet Wednesday and I'm in the bow pulpit and you're at the helm when we cross the finish line...



Did I beat you to the finish?

Only if you jump overboard and your PFD has a good PHRF rating.

[Rob_P]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Only if you jump overboard and your PFD has a good PHRF rating.

Do you mean a:

Personal
Hydrodynamic
Racing
Floatablethingy

rating?

I'll have to talk to my instructor about this to see if there is one because I haven't gotten that far in my reading yet. Also, I think I probably have to name my PFD and enter it in the "race" first. Otherwise someone might think I was trying to cheat or something. Not that I'm against cheating when I'm the guy who crosses the finish line first, but it's the principle of the thing. If I'm going to cheat, I at least try to make it look like I'm not. I'm rarely successful at it, but I at least try.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by Rob_P

Do you mean a:

Personal
Hydrodynamic
Racing
Floatablethingy

rating?

I'll have to talk to my instructor about this to see if there is one because I haven't gotten that far in my reading yet. Also, I think I probably have to name my PFD and enter it in the "race" first. Otherwise someone might think I was trying to cheat or something. Not that I'm against cheating when I'm the guy who crosses the finish line first, but it's the principle of the thing. If I'm going to cheat, I at least try to make it look like I'm not. I'm rarely successful at it, but I at least try.

Performance Handicap Racing Federation.
One of the 2 major handicapping bodies in the US. The other is IMS.
Don was making a joke.

[Don C L]

I think maybe Rob was too

[Adelie]

Your post was obviously a joke. I thought his might have been but not sure so I played the straight man.

[Rob_P]

Originally Posted by Adelie

Performance Handicap Racing Federation.
One of the 2 major handicapping bodies in the US. The other is IMS.
Don was making a joke.

So it's not Floatablethingy rated?


Sorry Don, I guess that means you're gonna hafta go racing by yourself. Not that you would have won anyway...


I did manage to get it armed without setting it off, so I can say I learned something.