On Wed, 17 Feb 1999, Dave Kruger wrote: > > Sounds like you may not be fitting the PFD to the paddler properly. > > If a PFD is sized and fitted properly, and if the straps are all > > cinched down appropriately, a PFD won't ride up when a paddler > > swims --- and shouldn't ride up even in a jump into the water off a > > pier or a rock. Crotch straps are fine --- my old CKS Stohlquist > > "Max" vest had USCG-approved hardpoints for crotch straps --- but > > they're most practical in an open canoe or on a raft. Would look to > > a properly sized and rigged PFD before modifying it to offset > > Joq, I think whether a PFD will "lift" you or not depends on whether your > chest measurement is larger than your mid-stomach measurement. As a guy > who is more like a pear than an Arnold, I think the main effect of cinching > down on my PFD straps is to restrict my breathing capacity. I can make it > work (not lift off my shoulders), but that requires serious squishing. > And, yes, I have tried on a half dozen good makes and models. > > Hardbody types have the inverted wedge-shaped upper torsos which make > "fitting" a PFD a "cinch." For the rest of us, the cinch is a pinch -- and > a crotch strap makes a big difference. agreed. i am a bit "rotund" as well ;-) and i can cinch the pfd so tight i can't breath, and while paddling a kayak, it _will_ ride up. my pfd for canoeing is longer, and since the bottom tie is lower than my gut, it doesn't ride up. not true with the kayak vest. mark #------canoeist[at]netbox[dot]com----http://www.diac.com/~zen/mark ---- # mark zen o, o__ o_/| o_. po box 474 </ [\/ [\_| [\_\ ft. lupton, co 80621-0474 (`-/-------/----') (`----|-------\-') #~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~ http://www.diac.com/~zen/paddler [index to club websites i administer] Rocky Mtn Sea Kayak Club, Colorado River Flows, Poudre Paddlers The Colorado Paddlers' Resource, Rocky Mtn Canoe Club Trip Page -- Fortune: "In a world without fences, who needs 'Gates'" -- Scott McNealy "In a world without walls, who needs 'Windows'" -- Dave Livigni *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Wed Feb 17 1999 - 08:59:32 PST
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