Life Jackets & PFDs - 2021 Virtual Boat Show Series
If you're watching this, chances are you're familiar with the good old fashioned orange foam life preserver that you probably wore when you were a kid. What you might not know is how many different types of life jackets are out there today, and that they've come a long way from that old orange chunk of foam hanging in your garage. That said, the orange foam life jacket is still a valid option in some situations, but there are so many other great options out there that are worth looking in to. The saying goes that "the best life jacket is the one you'll wear", and my goal today is to give you enough information so you might be able to find a life jacket of your own that you will actually wear. So that brings us to a more modern option for personal flotation which is the inflatable PFD. There's no foam on this type of life jacket and, as the name implies, they rely on an inflatable chamber to provide buoyancy in the water. The most obvious difference is the smaller size compared to traditional lifejackets thanks to the lack of foam, which translates into a more comfortable PFD that you are more likely to wear on purpose and not just when you see the marine patrol coming. So how do they work? The good news is that they inflate super quickly using a small CO2 cylinder and some type of activation mechanism (more about that in a second). The not-as-good news is that the cylinder needs to be replaced each time you inflate the life jacket, and they do require a little bit of maintenance to keep them working properly. That doesn't mean they are one-time use, you can inflate them hundreds of times if you want, you just need to buy a new rearm kit each time which will run you anywhere from about $30 to $75 depending on the model. Not a big deal for most people, but something to be aware of when considering an inflatable life jacket. Okay so more about the inflation mechanism. There are several ways inflatable PFDs can inflate. The three main types are: • Manual - You have to physically pull a cord to release the CO2 into the chamber. • Automatic - These have a small piece inside the inflator that dissolves when it gets wet which triggers the CO2 cylinder. These have been around for a long time but the technology has improved so that they aren't as sensitive to rain and moisture which could cause them to go off prematurely. Automatic PFDs will also have a manual cord that can be pulled to inflate the vest just like the manual version without the need for it to get wet. Hydrostatic - This is the most modern version of the automatic inflatable which actually uses water pressure to activate the CO2 cylinder. You can spray a hydrostatic PFD with a hose all day long and it won't activate, but as soon as the inflator goes under water, the water pressure will trigger the mechanism and it will inflate. Bad news - These are going to be more expensive at the initial purchase and more expensive for rearm kits. Good news - you don't need to worry about your life jacket inflating on a rainy day or if you get splashed by a wave. This is the choice of many sailors and Mustang even makes a commercial work vest model. There are a ton of options when it comes to inflatable PFDs, and choosing one will come down to what type of boating you're doing. Some things to think about when looking at inflatables… • How far from shore are you going, what type of conditions can you expect? If you're going offshore in potentially foul weather conditions then you should be looking at a model with more buoyancy and probably a hydrostatic inflator. If you're cruising closer to shore and staying out of the weather then you could go with a standard automatic model with less buoyancy. • What type of activity are you doing? If you're fishing you might want something sleek that doesn't have a lot of extra attachments to get in the way when you're fighting a fish. Elite If you're sailing you'll probably want to get a PFD that has an integrated harness and crotch straps. The other really cool thing about inflatable PFDs is the capability to install an emergency beacon within the vest itself. There are several AIS beacons available that can be installed within an inflatable PFD that can be set to automatically activate when the vest inflates. The last type of PFD I want to mention is a hybrid combination of foam and inflatable PFDs which can give you the best of both worlds for certain activities. A Hybrid PFD gets its base buoyancy from foam material, but if you find yourself in the water needing some extra lift there is an additional CO2 cylinder and chamber that can inflate to give you the additional buoyancy. These are great for watersports like kayaking and paddle boarding where you need the full-time buoyancy of a foam PFD but the mobility of an inflatable.
