PFD colors

[Log Catcher]

The latest sale thread appears to have been hijacked and I apologize as this was my fault. The discussion is about PFD colors and safety. @A-Jay pointed out to me the error of my ways in wearing a natural color PFD. Several others have made the same comments. What are your thought on PFDs. I know I see a lot of people that don't use them.

[A-Jay]

@Log Catcher

Sorry about that - to save some time - Here's the posts  . . .

 (Click on "A-Jay replied to a topic") 

 

Having and WEARING a life Jacket is clearly the way to go Regardless of the color.

However, in an effort to offer the men & women who are charged with helping you, the best opportunity to do so, color selection plays a role.  

Stay Safe

A-Jay

[MN Fisher]

When I went to buy a PFD, I had a budget limit for it. Being on a fixed income makes purchasing difficult.

After trying on a number of PFDs, I finally found one that would be comfortable wearing all day. The only color it came in was forest green.

 

If the PFD manufacturers would make available comfortable PFDs in brighter colors at a reasonable price, then it would be easier to get a brighter PFD. As it is, I have to make do with what I can afford.

[A-Jay]

9 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

When I went to buy a PFD, I had a budget limit for it. Being on a fixed income makes purchasing difficult.

After trying on a number of PFDs, I finally found one that would be comfortable wearing all day. The only color it came in was forest green.

 

If the PFD manufacturers would make available comfortable PFDs in brighter colors at a reasonable price, then it would be easier to get a brighter PFD. As it is, I have to make do with what I can afford.

Hard to eliminate risk but there are ways to mitigate it some.

Comes down to a simple choice  "Your Money or Your Life".

Easy for some - tougher for others.

A-Jay

[MN Fisher]

1 minute ago, A-Jay said:

 

So I guess it may come down to "Your Money or Your Life". 

Easy choice for some - tougher one for others.

A-Jay

In my case, it comes down to "Do I have a PFD that can save my life, or do I give up fishing from my canoe all together."

 

Given that I've had drown-proof training, am a certified SCUBA diver with over 2000 hours of downtime, and worked Underwater Search and Recovery; I consider myself a strong swimmer and not likely to panic.

 

Add to that, I always inform the wife which lake/bay I'll be fishing, when I'm expected back and the lakes/bay are small enough as well as I don't go far from shore, it's easy to swim to shore in a short amount of time.

 

I never fish night-time, it's always light out, so the possibility of having to search for me in the dark is a non-starter.

[FishTank]

Color was definitely a factor when I went to pick one out.  It's can be hard to find a PFD that has all the features and a good safety color combo.  In Indiana we are required to have one on board that fits but you do not have to wear it all the time.  I think this were commonsense comes into play. 

 

As far as what I have though, I bought one at Gander Mountain years ago that is red and grey.  Not a very visible vest so I put some reflective, high vis white and yellow tape/decal material on it in various places. It may look funny but if it is dark and I fall in, I want to seen and found safely. 

[MN Fisher]

Just now, FishTank said:

In Indiana we are required to have one on board that fits but you do not have to wear it all the time.

This is Minnesota law as well - unless you're under 10 years old, then you have to wear it all the time.

[Mike L]

No jacket...Stay off the boat. 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[Way north bass guy]

Although mostly black, the one I wear all the time does have some fairly bright highlights on the top, where I’d expect them to be seen better. A nice fitting vest that was only just over $100 cad on sale here, I am also a good swimmer but still wear it all the time on the boat now, never used to wear one unless running in a tournament ( as per most tournament rules), but since my boy has started fishing, which was when he was about 2 years old, he has wore one always right from launch to launch. It seemed like a bit of an oxymoron for him to wear one all the time and dad to “not have to wear one”, so now it’s on always. Honestly, since I’ve started wearing one, you don’t even notice it’s on anymore, and it sets a good example for young ones that you can’t be too careful when on the water. 

[BigAngus752]

This advice about colors seems like extremely sound advice.  Currently, we (depending upon who is fishing with me wife/son) only put the PFDs on when we are going to go up on plane.  Mine is a cheap, camo fishing PFD.  My wife and son wear their brightly-colored ski vest which are not comfortable.  I would like to have a bright-colored auto-inflating PFD for each of us but the only place near us that sells them is Field and Stream and everything there is way overpriced.  Does anyone have a recommendation for finding a reputable inflatable online?  And recommendations for what is "reputable"?

[A-Jay]

23 minutes ago, Way north bass guy said:

Although mostly black, the one I wear all the time does have some fairly bright highlights on the top, where I’d expect them to be seen better. A nice fitting vest that was only just over $100 cad on sale here, I am also a good swimmer but still wear it all the time on the boat now, never used to wear one unless running in a tournament ( as per most tournament rules), but since my boy has started fishing, which was when he was about 2 years old, he has wore one always right from launch to launch. It seemed like a bit of an oxymoron for him to wear one all the time and dad to “not have to wear one”, so now it’s on always. Honestly, since I’ve started wearing one, you don’t even notice it’s on anymore, and it sets a good example for young ones that you can’t be too careful when on the water. 

 

20 minutes ago, BigAngus752 said:

This advice about colors seems like extremely sound advice.  Currently, we (depending upon who is fishing with me wife/son) only put the PFDs on when we are going to go up on plane.  Mine is a cheap, camo fishing PFD.  My wife and son wear their brightly-colored ski vest which are not comfortable.  I would like to have a bright-colored auto-inflating PFD for each of us but the only place near us that sells them is Field and Stream and everything there is way overpriced.  Does anyone have a recommendation for finding a reputable inflatable online?  And recommendations for what is "reputable"?

Auto inflated life jackets usually have bright yellow or bright orange "inflation bags". 

(Varies by manufacturer)

You can 'open them up' such as when you re-charge them, to see what color yours may be.

So while worn - in the ready status - the uninflated color may not represent what you'll see after a few seconds in the water.

 

As for recommendations - Mustang has been effectively protecting &  successfully saving lives for a long time. I've put my own trust & faith in their products.

 

https://www.mustangsurvival.com/en_US/products/flotation/inflatable-pfds/elite-inflatable-pfd-bass-competition-auto-hydrostatic-62533128729.html

 

A-Jay

[Way north bass guy]

That’s what my inflatables are, mustangs. I’m sure there’s several different companies that offer good vests, but these seem to be the most popular around my neck of the woods. 

[Log Catcher]

8 hours ago, A-Jay said:

 

Auto inflated life jackets usually have bright yellow or bright orange "inflation bags". 

(Varies by manufacturer)

You can 'open them up' such as when you re-charge them, to see what color yours may be.

So while worn - in the ready status - the uninflated color may not represent what you'll see after a few seconds in the water.

 

As for recommendations - Mustang has been effectively protecting &  successfully saving lives for a long time. I've put my own trust & faith in their products.

 

https://www.mustangsurvival.com/en_US/products/flotation/inflatable-pfds/elite-inflatable-pfd-bass-competition-auto-hydrostatic-62533128729.html

 

A-Jay

As mentioned before I use a standard PFD. How long do the inflatables hold up after being activated before they start deflating?

[A-Jay]

2 hours ago, Log Catcher said:

As mentioned before I use a standard PFD. How long do the inflatables hold up after being activated before they start deflating?

Good Question ~  In the US, "the industry standard" is over night or 16 hours . . but that's probably pushing it a little. 

Sort of like "Expected Gas Mileage" on a new ride.  

Also,  I was going to say that the weather & air temp could play a role, but I'm a New England Patriots Fan,

so no one would believe me.

 

Seriously though . . .  The most significant factors in PFD service life are their use, storage and maintenance.  

With a high usage, poor storage, and poor maintenance, a PFD can wear out to the point of being unserviceable within a year or less.  For inflatable PFD’s, beside routine checks on the CO2 cylinder and inflation mechanisms, there is some added maintenance at least annually for checking the bladder as specified by the manufacturer.  For automatic inflatables, the care of the automatic components are particularly important and may have a limit on service life of only a few years or less in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. 
 
 As with most items aboard any vessel, reading instructions, becoming familiar with how to properly wear and inflate the PFD, and properly maintaining the equipment with clean storage will promote a better service life which could possibly safe a life when necessary. 
 

A couple of thousand safety boarding's has shown that unfortunately,  very few anglers do any of this.  Then they are upset & surprised (or dead) when the gear 'fails' or somehow does not operate as expected.  We are hearing multiple stories about inflatable Life Jackets 'not Opening' when a person goes in the water.  What we did not hear about is how the several year old unit had Never been inspected, never been manually inflated to determine if it was even still serviceable and was basically simply wore, thrown off and then stuffed in a box, since ownership.  Anglers will clean & service their boats, motors, rods & reels seasonally,  but often neglect the one piece of equipment they own, that will keep them alive should they need it.

 

Don't be that guy.

 

A-Jay  

 

 

[NYWayfarer]

All the “strong swimming style” and “on the water survival training” won’t help you if you are unconscious. 

 

Fall out out of a boat at high speed. Dump out of a kayak and hit your head on a rock. Pass out from low blood sugar or heatstroke. Hit your head on a low hanging tree limb while caught in current. You think it won’t happen to you until it does.

 

Don't put a price tag or fashion sense over your life. Get a good PDF in a bright color. Mine costs half of what my kayak did. When it inflates it is a yellow color. I am going to invest in a good non-inflatable kind this year as well.

[NYWayfarer]

10 hours ago, A-Jay said:

 

Also,  I was going to say that the weather & air temp could play a role, but I'm a New England Patriots Fan,

so no one would believe me.

LOL ? 

 

Good luck today and enjoy your Super Bowl Sunday 

[MN Fisher]

1 hour ago, NYWayfarer said:

Don't put a price tag or fashion sense over your life. Get a good PDF in a bright color. Mine costs half of what my kayak did. When it inflates it is a yellow color. I am going to invest in a good non-inflatable kind this year as well.

That's going to have to wait until next year. I've already reached my budget limit for this year, so no money to buy a replacement for a PFD that's only a year old.

 

Also, gifting me a cert for an online store is a non-starter...I want to be able to put one one, adjust the straps, then test movement while wearing it to insure it's comfort. So next year, it's trips to my local DSG, Cabela's and West Marine to find a 'bright color' PFD...this year I'll have to make do with the Forest Green one.

 

Don't even offer inflatables...just something in my gut doesn't trust an 'automatic' system like that. In my head, I'm sure they work fine, but in my heart I'm not convinced.

[NYWayfarer]

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

That's going to have to wait until next year. I've already reached my budget limit for this year, so no money to buy a replacement for a PFD that's only a year old.

 

Also, gifting me a cert for an online store is a non-starter...I want to be able to put one one, adjust the straps, then test movement while wearing it to insure it's comfort. So next year, it's trips to my local DSG, Cabela's and West Marine to find a 'bright color' PFD...this year I'll have to make do with the Forest Green one.

 

Don't even offer inflatables...just something in my gut doesn't trust an 'automatic' system like that. In my head, I'm sure they work fine, but in my heart I'm not convinced.

I have come to trust my auto inflate PFD less since reading this thread...

 

There is always the mercurochrome red color nylon over foam blocks they sell in Walmart for less than $10 in the meantime ?

 

[Log Catcher]

I think I will be staying with a standard PFD. I don't think I can make myself trust an inflatable.

[MN Fisher]

Just now, Log Catcher said:

I think I will be staying with a standard PFD. I don't think I can make myself trust an inflatable.

Ya, the questions I have are.

 

1) How much water pressure does it take to trigger the auto-inflate? 2'...3'...

2) If I'm knocked unconscious, how many lungfuls of water am I going to take in before it brings me back to the surface?

3) Even if it's properly maintained, what's the rate of failure on the auto-inflate system?

14 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Good Question ~  In the US, "the industry standard" is over night or 16 hours . . but that's probably pushing it a little. 

4) What's the spread of flotation time for these? 13-20 hours? 3-30 hours? How can you be sure the one you're wearing will keep you afloat long enough to be rescued?

 

A regular PFD is always ready and will return me to the surface in seconds as well as having a lifespan that can be measured in days.

 

Since the places I fish are so small in comparison, and my wife always knows where I'm going and when I expect to be back, I have no fear that my regular PFD...even in a 'muted' color will fail me or keep me from being rescued in the event I have a problem.

[NYWayfarer]

On ‎2‎/‎3‎/‎2019 at 1:50 PM, MN Fisher said:

Since the places I fish are so small in comparison, and my wife always knows where I'm going and when I expect to be back, I have no fear that my regular PFD...even in a 'muted' color will fail me or keep me from being rescued in the event I have a problem.

My wife and I have a system when I go kayaking. I text her every hour I am on the water. It's either, "I'm Ok" or a pic of a fish I caught. If she doesn't get the text she will send me one. If I don't answer she knows something is wrong.

[TOXIC]

Few things to remember.  I'm coming from those of us in boats.  

 

Inflatables have to be worn to be counted as an acceptable PFD (in Virginia anyway) an inflatable alone will get you ticketed unless you also have a standard PFD on board for every occupant.  

 

Inflatables have a backup manual inflate pull cord and most have a manual fill tube you can blow in.

 

I have gone back to a vest, I was disturbed reading a lot of accounts with inflatables not working properly.  In the case of being unconscious, there are specific qualities you need to look for in your PFD and I do not think any of the inflatables have a "face up" or the ability to right you if you are unconscious.  Not every vest style has that capability as well.  

 

PFD and Kill Switch are 2 things I never, never, cut corners on or fail to make sure I have accounted for.   

[Log Catcher]

33 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

Few things to remember.  I'm coming from those of us in boats.  

 

Inflatables have to be worn to be counted as an acceptable PFD (in Virginia anyway) an inflatable alone will get you ticketed unless you also have a standard PFD on board for every occupant.  

 

Inflatables have a backup manual inflate pull cord and most have a manual fill tube you can blow in.

 

I have gone back to a vest, I was disturbed reading a lot of accounts with inflatables not working properly.  In the case of being unconscious, there are specific qualities you need to look for in your PFD and I do not think any of the inflatables have a "face up" or the ability to right you if you are unconscious.  Not every vest style has that capability as well.  

 

PFD and Kill Switch are 2 things I never, never, cut corners on or fail to make sure I have accounted for.   

An inflatable has to be worn to be counted as acceptable here in Kentucky too. I am currently using a BPS blue and gray standard PFD. I would like to find a better one. I have seen some brands in this thread I have never heard of.

[roadwarrior]

Well, I suppose color comes into play at the margin, but I want camo to match my clothes.

Even if I fall out I suspect I will be close to the boat if I am still floating.

[A-Jay]

3 hours ago, TOXIC said:

Few things to remember.  I'm coming from those of us in boats.  

 

Inflatables have to be worn to be counted as an acceptable PFD (in Virginia anyway) an inflatable alone will get you ticketed unless you also have a standard PFD on board for every occupant.  

 

Inflatables have a backup manual inflate pull cord and most have a manual fill tube you can blow in.

 

I have gone back to a vest, I was disturbed reading a lot of accounts with inflatables not working properly.  In the case of being unconscious, there are specific qualities you need to look for in your PFD and I do not think any of the inflatables have a "face up" or the ability to right you if you are unconscious.  Not every vest style has that capability as well.  

 

PFD and Kill Switch are 2 things I never, never, cut corners on or fail to make sure I have accounted for.   

When properly sized & fitted, an inflated life jacket is on your chest.

That 28 lbs of buoyancy is designed to overcome even the largest of humans.

If you've not tried it - blow one up and try to float on your face.

It's going to surprise you.

A-Jay