PFDs & Skippers & Crew Question.

[bazzer]

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

I would side with the skipper, he did not say wear no pfd, he said don't wear a automaitcally inflating PFD. I see his point if you consider how those things work. They inflate when a water soluble tablet gets wet. These things take almost no water to trigger. In a race crew often get quite wet and sometimes almost submerged. If any of this happens which is actually more likey in a racing situation the pfd will inflate. Of course since you are not actually in the water and don't need your PFD inflated you wiould probably deflate it so you could continue your crew duties. Of course now you are left with a PFD that can only be inflated by the mouth tubes since you've already blown your CO2 cartridge on a needless inflation. If you then go into the water you had better hope you've got enough consciousness and time to find the mouth tubes and blow up the pfd before you have any kind of positive flotation. I know a number of racers and none of them use autoinflaters because they get too wet. Better to have a PFD that only requires a tug on a cord to inflate than a wasted one you have to inflate by mouth.

My 2 cents, change welcome.

You don't know to much about PFD's, they are available will a inflation system that works off water pressure. Or you can have a manual system. In the event of you being inside the boat when it's swamped you can always take it off.
The big problem with PFD's is not the way it inflates, but the way the user has it fitted. If its loose it will ride up and over your head, and if you are to fat, like a Benicia firefighter I saw recently, you might not be able to buckle it at all.

[sarafina]

Originally Posted by bazzer

The big problem with PFD's is not the way it inflates, but the way the user has it fitted. If its loose it will ride up and over your head, and if you are to fat, like a Benicia firefighter I saw recently, you might not be able to buckle it at all.

That's true of any type of PFD, not just the inflatables. At some point this last week Himself was reading the account of trying to keep the pdf on while being tossed around the Farallones and he looks over at me and says "I guess I should quite complaining about how you tighten up my vest to tight, huh?"

Divers NEVER wear their gear loose.

[bobconnie]

We don't do organized racing, But after we leave the dock we have inflateables with croch straps we added yrs ago on and loaded! We leave then on till we are below decks when ever we at sea ! The main reason we do this is Connies way to small to get me back aboard without the use of at least a sheet winch, if Im to hurt or cold to climb back aboard by myself ! she can do this and we practice the drills often, but it takes time for her to set up and with the sos style vest at least Im floating when she gets there !! We have worn these type vests for 15 - 16 yrs and never had one go off acidentaly yet !! Just sayin better safe then dead !

[gpdno]

Originally Posted by bobconnie

We don't do organized racing, But after we leave the dock we have inflateables with croch straps we added yrs ago on and loaded! We leave then on till we are below decks when ever we at sea ! The main reason we do this is Connies way to small to get me back aboard without the use of at least a sheet winch, if Im to hurt or cold to climb back aboard by myself ! she can do this and we practice the drills often, but it takes time for her to set up and with the sos style vest at least Im floating when she gets there !! We have worn these type vests for 15 - 16 yrs and never had one go off acidentaly yet !! Just sayin better safe then dead !

Agreed. Sort of like saying seat belts are unsafe because if you crash in a lake you may drown before you can get the seat belt off. Sure it could happen but unlikely.
I wear my auto inflatable whenever I singlehand. In rain and big splashing waves. I get wet and have never had it go off on accident. Could it? Maybe but unlikely. The risk rewards it too great for me not to wear the vest.