At 10:48 PM 3/5/02 -0800, Doug Lloyd wrote: >. . . So...I went and bought an >Mustang AirForce Manual Inflatable PFD. View at: > ><http://www.landfallnavigation.com/pfdkits.html> > >It is a radical departure for me. I believe we have discussed them >before on PW (the dangers of drowning because you can't inflate them >unconscious, etc.). But I really like the idea of the freedom of >movement I'll have with the new articulated drysuit under this new >minimalist PFD, along with the "cooler" design, low weight, and >incredible buoyancy (35lbs) if I do need it. Good move. Inflatables are controversial -- but I made the switch a couple years ago and for most circumstances would not switch back now, although if I were doing whitewater I might rethink that position. I made the switch partly because inflatables are much cooler and more comfortable to wear in warm conditions than wearing an inch or more of insulating foam over the majority of the upper body. In addition, the Type III vest that most kayakers use will not turn a wearer upright or hold the head out of the water, where is an inflated inflatable for practical purposes turns into a Type II, and will keep the head out of the water. Most importantly -- for people my size, most Type III vests just don't work well. Most Type III vests depend being tight around the waist to keep the wearer from sliding down in the vest. This works fine if your waist is smaller than your chest, but in my case, and many others my waist is larger than my chest. Unless the waist is so sung as to prevent sitting comfortably, the PFD will ride up to the point where you're being held up by your armpits -- which may keep you afloat but is difficult to do self-rescues or much of anything else. Because of their horsecollar type II shape when inflated, an inflatable being snug around the waist is not anywhere as much an issue. Type III inflatables with manual activation have been USCG approved for a number of years, now. Automatic activation PFDs are not USCG approved, and most of us wouldn't want one anyway. The downside of most inflatables is lack of pockets, and places to clip gear. If you really have to carry stuff on your person, I suggest a fanny pack, perhaps riding high and in front. -- Wes --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wes Boyd's Kayak Place http://www2.dmci.net/wesboyd/kayak.htm Kayaks for Big Guys (And Gals) | Trip Reports | Places To Go | Boats & Gear --------------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Wed Mar 06 2002 - 10:02:10 PST
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:30:51 PDT