PFD shopping.

[Darth-Baiter]

I have two kayaks. It just made sense to buy a second flotation vest. I wear the ubiquitous NRS Chinook, like 50% of the people I see wearing. It’s fine. Good storage. 
 

my brother is coming to fish and I needed to buy another vest. First- it’s not wise to wait until spring is within eyesight.  They are vastly sold out!  Especially in the more popular colors.  (black). I opted for blue.  Dare I say “sapphire blue”?  I pondered a black one all winter.  Now I want one - back ordered until august.  Oops. I ordered from REI so I can put it on right there for fit/comfort test. If it sucks, I return it. 
 

I looked at the inflating ones. I actually bought the Mustang khimera.  Which is a hybrid. You rip a cord to inflate it, but just regular it will float 7lbs.  It really seemed to complicated and it vented poorly. Id sweat so much, I could grow rice.
 

I bought the NRS Ninja.  It seems like a more compact vest. I hope it works.  I’m 100% PFD compliant.  I’m not a super strong swimmer. I hope the compact vest is comfy enough for a day on a bassboat as well. I may buy an inflatable for the boat.    I’m tired of looking at vest. 

[Choporoz]

I make the PFD quest pretty complicated, too... every few years.

 

Couple of reaction points-

-I like bright yellow and orange PFDs...I'd probably avoid black, all other things being equal.   Added visibility in the yak is a plus.  Added visibility if you go in the drink and need to be searched for is massive

-I have an inflatable...BUT, I insisted on auto.  I figure if I go in, there's a reasonable chance it is an event where I become unconscious or otherwise unable to operate manually.

[Bankc]

I hate PFD shopping.  You always feel pressured to consider safety to a degree beyond what's practical.  For instance, is a manually inflating PFD doing me any good other than skirting the law?  I'm a strong swimmer.  If I'm conscious to pull the cord, then I don't actually need the PFD.  Do I trust an automatic inflating PFD with my life?  Lots of things can potentially go wrong, and there's no easy (and cheap) way to test it regularly.  Will a bulky foam PFD be so uncomfortable that I won't wear one?  Do I need pockets to store stuff?  

 

I eventually gave up and just bought a cheap foam one until I could resolve all of my questions.  Turns out, for me anyway, you get used to wearing even a bulky PFD's, so long as it fits well.  You learn to take the thermal insulation of the PFD into account when dressing for the day.  And I tend to use my pants pockets even if I have others available.  So it seems like I made the right choice.  

 

My old PFD is getting up there in years, and I should probably buy a new one in a year or two.  I'm not looking forward to that.  I'll have to revisit all of those old questions, and I've got a feeling that the "lessons I learned" from last time will all be forgotten once I start digging a little deeper and reading reviews.  Ugh.

[cyclops2]

Chop & Bank Really did a great job on what to consider.  Cardiac & others who can stop breathing & pass out ?  Auto & hope it works.  ORRR  A foamy which you will get used to.  Dress in layers if you need a foam one.  Works for me. I even tie a length of dock line to me & the boat If I leave the boat.  Line is between bow cleat and is just short enough so my feet or hands NEVER get to the prop.  All I can do & accept it.  I do a lot of alone trips.

[Gera]

Last season I bought the Kokatat leviathan, its very confortable and it has almost too much storage on it. I would recommended. 

Like many here I'm a strong swimmer but I use it a 100% of the time. I'm usually very careless about everything but this, I need to get back to my kids at home. 

[cyclops2]

Can it carry 2 full subs & a 6 pack of drinks ?   ?

[Tennessee Boy]

24 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

-I like bright yellow and orange PFDs...I'd probably avoid black, all other things being equal.   Added visibility in the yak is a plus.  Added visibility if you go in the drink and need to be searched for is massive

Thank you for making yourself visible.   Sometimes it's seems like Kayakers have a death wish.   I had a close call with one where the kayak and everything the guy was wearing were almost exactly the color of the water.  In choppy water I was 30 ft from him in a very busy and narrow boat lane before I saw him.

[Deleted account]

4 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Thank you for making yourself visible.   Sometimes it's seems like Kayakers have a death wish.   I had a close call with one where the kayak and everything the guy was wearing were almost exactly the color of the water.  In choppy water I was 30 ft from him in a very busy and narrow boat lane before I saw him.

 

I buy BPS lipless during the Spring sale, just to share them with kayakers...

The thud seems to wake them from their stupor...

[Gera]

1 hour ago, cyclops2 said:

Can it carry 2 full subs & a 6 pack of drinks ?   ?

 

As soon as season starts I'll do proper testing and report findings..  I'm almost sure if I cut in half and put it two pockets sub will fit. 

[cyclops2]

That would make a GREAT  reason to buy it.  Capable of Sea Rations during a ....Abandon Ship Drill.          ?

[Jmilburn76]

I wear an orange NRS Chinook, it has served me well the last 3 years.

[Darth-Baiter]

4 hours ago, Choporoz said:

I make the PFD quest pretty complicated, too... every few years.

 

 

You summed up my life in this sentence. Haha. I complicate everything 

[gim]

I think the most important part of a PFD is that it’s comfortable so you actually wear it. If it’s cumbersome, you aren’t going to want to wear it much.

[Glenn]

And if that's not enough, here are several more points to take into consideration - really this is about enhancing your PFDs....

 

 

[Darren.]

Kayak fisherman? Wear one 100% of the time. Just common sense.

Visibility is ideal. My budget led me to a Bass Pro brand vest that

was not ideally visible. Tan. Though it has worked just fine. I do think

I'd prefer a bright yellow or other bright/visible color in the future.

[cyclops2]

Yellow or Safety Orange.  Both show up great at night with a search light on them.

A great spot at night is right next to the channel going to the marina 100' before the No Wake Buoy. Been told by the night crowd I am very visible to them. 

[CountryboyinDC]

I have a bunch of PFDs, not all for fishing.  I have an older Chinook (I know they changed a couple of years ago), and it's fine.  It's made of Ripstop rather than Cordura, like rescue vests, so it got a hole in the pocket rather quickly, and I'd say the remainder may be due for a refresh this year or next.  

 

I feel the Stohlquist PiSeas is a really good deal for the money.  Someone loaned me one a few years ago and I think that's the route I'd go if I needed one today.

 

@Choporoz 's point about the color is well taken - I don't get the angler vests wet so often as I do the whitewater ones, so high visibility is a good thing.  The whitewater ones I get in brown or black because that's the color they'll end up anyway.  But I personally don't want an inflatable.  I'm liable to jump in to cool off or decide to wade below some tempting ledges while I'm fishing, and I want the PFD on the entire time.

[FishTank]

The Chinook has been my go to for a few years know. Love it. I too have a dislike of shopping for them.  You never know how they are going to feel until you wear one all day. 

 

Prior to the Chinook,  I was using an Angler PFD from Gander Mountain.  I had a few of them that lasted about 5 years each.