pfd - life jacket

[oldsub86]

I am posting this here because it does not appear that many of you folks read the safety section of the forum.

What I would like to know is if anyone knows of a comfortable life jacket that would keep an unconscious person afloat with their head out of the water? The old theory was that it should roll you on your back and float you with your face upwards out of the water if you were unable to fend for yourself.
I have been looking around and there seem to be lots of vest style jackets with a floatation collar for children but not for adults.
The old, once common keyhole style are safe but not much fun to wear.
The now common vest style will generally float you upright but will not keep you face out of the water if you are unable to hold your head up.

This issue has been brought home to us this weekend as we believe one of my son's friends perished in a boating accident. They were thrown from the boat and he is missing since Saturday evening. We do not believe he was wearing a life jacket at all. This is a more dangerous time of year in our neck of the woods as it gets dark fairly early and the water is getting quite cold.

Randy

 

[Outsider]

Re: pfd - life jacket

Automatic inflatable ...

 

[NYBo]

Re: pfd - life jacket

My condolences to your son and his friend's family.

A type 1 has the greatest ability to turn an unconscious person face-up, but is also the most bulky and uncomfortable. An automatic inflatable is much smaller and more comfortable (when still deflated), and some have the ability to turn an unconscious victim. But they aren't satisfactory when high impact can be expected (e.g. ejection from a 70 MPH bass boat).

 

[Woodnaut]

Re: pfd - life jacket

Really really sorry to hear about your son's friend. I'm sure that they would do anything to get the boy back.

Two things about life jackets on our boat. First, if you're on my boat then you have on a life jacket. Period. No exceptions, ever. Second, everybody has their own jacket that is comfortable and that they like. We wear automatic inflatables UNLESS we are tubing, and they we have on a sportmans style.

Wearing a lifejacket is not a hassel, unless you've got the wrong lifejacket. Don't go cheap on these.

 

[pdgs]

Re: pfd - life jacket

IMHO the type V inflatables are the best thing that's come along as far as safety goes in many years. I will not tell you they are the best PFD there is, but they are not uncomfortable to wear and look kind of cool. The odds of convincing someone to wear one all the time are far better than anything else out there. By law, I have to carry type I's and they are a pain in the rear to store on a small craft. I seriously don't think many can even put one on once they're in the water. It's not nearly as easy as you think. For that reason I wear a type V coastal and carry them for my passengers. I don't ask them if they want to wear them I tell them they must. I get complaints occasionally but that stops as soon as they forget they're wearing them. Every conversation I've ever had with LEO's and USCG members has been favorable towards my use of the type V's and my willingness to spend a few dolllars more for the coastal version. It will never be better than a properly sized, adjusted and worn type I but it will probably save more lives because it will get worn.

Edit. Just read the comment about them not being rated for high impact. This is true and in cases where that situation is probable it is up the captain of the boat (if you're driving, you're the captain) to order that type II jackets be worn. Anything less is pure negligence.

As for the missing boy, I am truly sorry this has occured. There is no doubt the driver of the boat (captain) is fully responsible. The law is very clear about this. If more recreational boaters understood this and took the time to take boating safety courses more lives would be saved by that alone than any PFD will ever.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: pfd - life jacket

By law, I have to carry type I's and they are a pain in the rear to store on a small craft. I seriously don't think many can even put one on once they're in the water.

Your local law requires them to be on board even if people are wearing type V's? Seems a little redundant, at least the states i've boated in, you just had to have one per person, either a type I-III in the boat, or a person wearing a type V. (not both, and type V's don't count unless worn)

 

[louiefl]

Re: pfd - life jacket

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2012/sep/19/boat-turned-sideways-waves-swamped-craft-coast-gua/

Just lost someone locally last week. Commercial fisherman and son coming back into the Ft Pierce inlet, engine dies, boat gets sideways, capsizes and they couldn't get their pfds on. Sad.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: pfd - life jacket

If you ever get in the situation of being in the water and trying to put a life jacket on and can't, put it on backwards (on the chest rather then the back). At least you can keep it on if you need to swim. With practice you can learn how to get your jacket on in the water.I keep three that will turn an adult and keep your head up. As said above they are bulky. They are a offshore jacket. (rough water). I have them for fishing Lake Erie. You could be floating awhile out there.

 

[Mason78]

Re: pfd - life jacket

How do the automatic inflatables work? What triggers them to inflate?

 

[JoLin]

Re: pfd - life jacket

How do the automatic inflatables work? What triggers them to inflate?

There are 2 basic types- one uses a water-soluble, dissolving capsule to trigger the CO2 cartridge. Newer and more expensive options use a hydrostatic (water pressure) sensor to trigger the CO2 cartridge when the PFD goes under water 3-4".

In case anyone here doesn't know, an inflatable PFD doesn't 'count' as a PFD unless it's being worn. Simply having it aboard doesn't satisfy the legal requirement of an approved PFD for every passenger.