Smokinal Posted July 4, 2020 Posted July 4, 2020 I have an automatic inflatable that I bought from Cabelas a few years ago. Of course, never read any instructions; just started wearing it. My wife got into kayaking with me and wanted a thin vest like I wear so I bought her the same brand I have from Dicks; an Onyx AM/24 Well I thought I'd read the instructions and this thing actually says "not for use by non swimmers or weak swimmers." Uuhhhhhh, I thought that's exactly what a PFD was for?? She can swim but is a weak swimmer. Now I'm wondering if mine said the same thing and I'm wondering if I bought the right one for her. Thoughts? Quote
DanielG Posted July 4, 2020 Posted July 4, 2020 I have no answer for you... But your post is timely for me. I have the same vest. I've had it for two years. I keep it packed away in the boat. The other day we had a buckets load downpour that lasted an hour. This morning when I went to put it on it was inflated in the storage well..... I guess I'll be bringing it in from now on. Still love the comfort of it compared to non inflatables.... Oh, and that test I always wanted to do on it to see if these things actually work? Well they do. 1 Quote
Finessegenics Posted July 4, 2020 Posted July 4, 2020 When I was looking into buying PFDs, I was taking a look at the mustang automatic and manual pfds. The salesperson came over and said I should only purchase them if I knew I wasn’t gonna fall in...I found it kinda odd but didn’t question it. I assumed he said it because they need to be recharged once inflated. Not sure why they wouldn’t be safe for non swimmers though. Quote
Super User A-Jay Posted July 4, 2020 Super User Posted July 4, 2020 1 hour ago, Smokinal said: I have an automatic inflatable that I bought from Cabelas a few years ago. Of course, never read any instructions; just started wearing it. My wife got into kayaking with me and wanted a thin vest like I wear so I bought her the same brand I have from Dicks; an Onyx AM/24 Well I thought I'd read the instructions and this thing actually says "not for use by non swimmers or weak swimmers." Uuhhhhhh, I thought that's exactly what a PFD was for?? She can swim but is a weak swimmer. Now I'm wondering if mine said the same thing and I'm wondering if I bought the right one for her. Thoughts? Virtually every inflatable type III Life Jacket manufacturer includes that statement in the "Instruction manual". Perhaps a disclaimer ? Besides fit, finish & quality construction, I look for Buoyancy Rating. Minimum requirement is 22.5 lbs. Most meet that, some exceed that. The Mustang unit I wear comes in at 28 LBS / 125 N of buoyancy when inflated. Advantages of Inflatables: Provides high visibility when inflated Turns most wearers face-up faster than traditional life jackets Will usually keep unconscious users face-up Superior in-water performance Disadvantages of Inflatables: Not suitable for non-swimmers Requires more steps to deploy Not approved for children under 16 years of age Requires frequent inspection and maintenance Not appropriate for activities such as personal watercraft use, tubing, sailboarding, whitewater rafting Always read the owner's manual that comes with your inflatable life jacket before using. A-Jay 1 2 Quote
Shimano_1 Posted July 4, 2020 Posted July 4, 2020 Tons of people wear and prefer these inflatable life vests. I'm not an advocate of them. Buddy of mine bought my dad one for a gift a few years ago. He wore it for a cple years...on kentucky lake in some nasty water...and decided to test it one day knowing it probably needed recharged or whatever. It didn't work and we have no clue how long it had been dead. I'm a fairly strong swimmer but I figured if I go in im fully clothed as well as potential to get injured in the process. I want something that floats 100 percent of the time. My wife isn't a strong swimmer and if I were to wear one I wouldn't let her when she goes with me. As always just my personal opinion but I feel there is too much risk involved I'll just be slightly less comfortable in my traditional vest 1 Quote
PourMyOwn Posted July 4, 2020 Posted July 4, 2020 I have an Onyx 24, and the main reason I like it is that I actually wear the thing the whole time I'm on the water. My old conventional jackets only got worn on big water when I was running the outboard, or when I was underdressed in the spring/fall. 1 Quote
Super User A-Jay Posted July 4, 2020 Super User Posted July 4, 2020 6 minutes ago, Shimano_1 said: Tons of people wear and prefer these inflatable life vests. I'm not an advocate of them. Buddy of mine bought my dad one for a gift a few years ago. He wore it for a cple years...on kentucky lake in some nasty water...and decided to test it one day knowing it probably needed recharged or whatever. It didn't work and we have no clue how long it had been dead. I'm a fairly strong swimmer but I figured if I go in im fully clothed as well as potential to get injured in the process. I want something that floats 100 percent of the time. My wife isn't a strong swimmer and if I were to wear one I wouldn't let her when she goes with me. As always just my personal opinion but I feel there is too much risk involved I'll just be slightly less comfortable in my traditional vest I can understand and respect this mindset. However, something that is not mentioned in this case or any of the few I've seen, is in regards to how (or even IF) the equipment was maintained. Few products will perform properly if not checked routinely and kept in serviceable working order. The underlined text seems to imply that this may be the case. Adding the make & model of the faulty Life Jackets can be a valuable piece of information for an interested reader as well. A-Jay 1 Quote
Smokinal Posted July 4, 2020 Author Posted July 4, 2020 @A-Jay I think you're right in that veriage being a disclaimer. I'm comfortable with it being correct and fine for the both of us to wear and be safe. It does have 22.5 lb buoyancy rating 1 Quote
Shimano_1 Posted July 4, 2020 Posted July 4, 2020 5 hours ago, A-Jay said: I can understand and respect this mindset. However, something that is not mentioned in this case or any of the few I've seen, is in regards to how (or even IF) the equipment was maintained. Few products will perform properly if not checked routinely and kept in serviceable working order. The underlined text seems to imply that this may be the case. Adding the make & model of the faulty Life Jackets can be a valuable piece of information for an interested reader as well. A-Jay You're absolutely correct and I'm sure it was our fault. Don't know specifics but it was a mustang but their cheapest one a few years ago and it was 2 years old when this happened. I'm sure with proper maintenance they work just fine but my regular ones don't need maintenance lol. I buy a new one every few years and its just peace of mind for me. One less thing I have to be mindful of. Seem to be the majority that like them as you see far more of the inflatable ones on the water. To each their own 1 Quote
Super User A-Jay Posted July 4, 2020 Super User Posted July 4, 2020 4 minutes ago, Shimano_1 said: You're absolutely correct and I'm sure it was our fault. Don't know specifics but it was a mustang but their cheapest one a few years ago and it was 2 years old when this happened. I'm sure with proper maintenance they work just fine but my regular ones don't need maintenance lol. I buy a new one every few years and its just peace of mind for me. One less thing I have to be mindful of. Seem to be the majority that like them as you see far more of the inflatable ones on the water. To each their own I hear Ya ~ I own & wear both types - Wore Mustang gear exclusively as an on the water professional for 3 decades - I just trust it. The non-inflatables are no doubt fool proof and do offer piece of mind for sure. Seemed like we lived in them 24/7 underway while also wearing body Armour, tactical gear and a side arm. Can't say they were 'comfortable' but I got used to them. I think we can agree that nothing works unless we wear it. That's something I have total control over. A-Jay Quote
Shimano_1 Posted July 4, 2020 Posted July 4, 2020 8 minutes ago, A-Jay said: I hear Ya ~ I own & wear both types - Wore Mustang gear exclusively as an on the water professional for 3 decades - I just trust it. The non-inflatables are no doubt fool proof and do offer piece of mind for sure. Seemed like we lived in them 24/7 underway while also wearing body Armour, tactical gear and a side arm. Can't say they were 'comfortable' but I got used to them. I think we can agree that nothing works unless we wear it. That's something I have total control over. A-Jay Yes sir and I'm sure you're much more qualified to give advice on this subject. I'm just a weekend warrior. Love those regular mustangs I've wanted one for years just been too tight to fork out the funds for one and just stick with the cheap bps ones. Definitely agree that whichever one we will wear is the best one to own. I don't fish a lot of big water so most of my runs are 20 minutes or less so even when a lil uncomfortable its not a huge deal for me 1 Quote
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