life jackets

Do you prefer a jacket or the newer auto/ manual vest. Just wondering if some of you are 100%talking confident it will deploy when you need it. If a man was to quick unexpected dip in the lake, he would haveto re- arming stuff and haveto stop and regroup. Never wore one much but I am not as young or in as good of shape as i once was. Now i wear one while running and throw it in driver seat when fishing. Usually dont fish alone and really considering some sort of boarding ladder that you can get from the water.

Inflatables have their pros and cons. I have seen an auto-inflate operate when only a small corner of the jacket was submerged. This was one we had on our fireboat while working on getting a sinking boat secured to us. To me it inflated to soon. One advantage to them is that you don't feel hindered in movement while wearing one. They are a lot more comfortable. But like you mentioned, you need to keep a re-arming kit with you in case it is used. Also, make sure to read the tag on your unit. If it says it has to be worn to counted as a lifejacket then you better have it on ALL the time. Do not leave it lying in your seat. Even if you are using the trolling motor. You will be cited. If you have a vest type lying out though then you can take the inflatable off with no worry. If the tag does not state it has to be worn then there is no issue.
An advantage to the vest type is that you have one more barrier to cold wind when running down the lake.
Try looking back several pages or type "inflatables" into the search box above to locate the thread we had on this a few months ago.

[QUOTE=Shellkat;504307]Do you prefer a jacket or the newer auto/ manual vest. Just wondering if some of you are 100%talking confident it will deploy when you need it. If a man was to quick unexpected dip in the lake, he would haveto re- arming stuff and haveto stop and regroup. Never wore one much but I am not as young or in as good of shape as i once was. Now i wear one while running and throw it in driver seat when fishing. Usually dont fish alone and really considering some sort of boarding ladder that you can get from the water.[/QUOTE]

I have a manual inflatable vest. It's comfortable and allows better range of motion. However, in really cold weather I wear my old standard vest in cast the inflatable were to freeze up. Even still you can inflate the new vests with a blow tube with your mouth, but if it is that cold you may not be able to figure that out in time. If you get one of the inflatables read all the instructions and get to really know how it works before you need it. They are better than no jacket for sure'

The other point is that you absolutely need a plan to reboard your boat from the water. This reallly should be manditory. A pull down ladder on a swim platform would be ideal, a ladder with a string to pull it to you from the water or whatever. Make a plan. I have seen videos of people using their power trim and riding the motor up, this will not work without power trim. I had an old boat that had a wide cavitation plate on the motor that I could use as a step in an emergency.

Point is have a workable plan to reboard that boat.

I use an inflatable in the summer time as it is cooler and more comfortable. In the winter I use a old fashion vest, however I do not wear it as I bought a floatation jacket and bib out fit. I have a boarding ladder on my ranger just for safety reason. I am not sure I could reach the first step in the winter with all the clothes on so I would probably use the motor and trim in the winter. In the winter you need to get back in the boat with the least amount of energy as possible and have a set of dry warm coveralls,socks, gloves and hat in the boat.

I gave your question a lot of consideration when I bought my last one and had the same questions You have.

Watch the first video on this page.

[url]http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/pao/news/boating_restrictions_near_dams.htm[/url]

The guy says he could not find the cord to inflate after he went in.

They make foam jackets with free range of motion for the arms and they are comfortable. See photo.

If you really want to be safe check the buoyancy rating for your body weight. I had a bad situation once with a jacked that was given to me on somebody else's boat that did not float me high enough. Wile sitting still in the the water the water came up to my chin. It was hard to sync my breaths with the waves and I breathed in a lot of water. Made it to shore but barely. If you think about it you may be in need of your life jacket when the water is rough and the waves are big.

The inflatables do have tons and tons of buoyancy and keep your face up out of the water. Pros and cons.

Then there is the question of which one are you more likely to wear.

Also check the miles per hour rating if you like to go fast. This one is rated to 50 mph. My boat goes thirty five. Can't remember the buoyancy rating. Somewhere in the 20’s I think. Maybe a little anal but tested it on a summer day in the lake. When you need it, you need it to work.

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The ONLY thing I have against inflatables, and this has happened twice, is I had one in my rod storage locker & upon removal I noticed that it had inflated. Another time, while tournament fishing, I got to my spot, took the inflatable jacket off and started fishing. Shortly I heard what almost sounded like a gun shot only to look and see that my jacket had inflated while lying on the seat at the drivers console. The non-boating angler standing on the back deck thought he'd been shot :) .....I was told that the high humidity may have set it off. Some of the tournament guys said they take theirs inside the house after use. I went back to wearing my 100 mph vest with 3 buckles & zipper front.

I think this has came up before. If I understand correctly the law requires you still have to have a conventional type I, II or III PFD in the boat for every passenger, even if you use inflatables. The reason being if an inflatable is activated for whatever reason (they can inflate accidently) then from that point on they are useless and you would not have a useable PFD onboard for every person which is a violation of the law.


Am I correct???

I have an inflatable that I like, and wear( most important ), but in my mind I am always wondering will it work when I need it.I have a manual one and have been leary. I keep regular vest in boat but you have to dig for it

[QUOTE=Shellkat;504307]Do you prefer a jacket or the newer auto/ manual vest. Usually dont fish alone and really considering some sort of boarding ladder that you can get from the water.[/QUOTE]

Auto inflatables are much more comfortable than the jackets IMO. I fish at the McAlpine dam alot and don't notice it being in my way while fishing, so it is on the whole trip. Spend the extra money (approx $300) and get the hydrostatic model made my Mustang. According to Mustang, it will not inflate until the sensor is submerged in 4" water. They claim it cannot rain hard enough to make it inflate. The sensor ($70) is good for 5 yrs...most others have to be changed every year. Over 5 yrs, you spend more on regular sensors than you would on a hydrostatic model.

One thing to be aware of...some states do not count inflatables as PFDs unless you are actually wearing them. Regular jackets usually count as long they are in the boat and/or accessible.

Definitely invest in a good boarding ladder. I personally don't know if I could climb up the motor or pull myself over the side. I have one that is permenantly mounted on the transom...it folds up when not in use. The hang-on types are hard for a 6'-5" 300# fellow to climb up. We have used it while swimming and when taking an unexpected dive at the hydros.

Joe

I use an auto inflatable and summer or winter it allows me to make more casts while still being protected In case of an accident. Stuff happens. You can do a YouTube search on the autos most of them inflate when completely submerged personally I think it's worth it especially for tournament fishing.

I prefer the regular Type II or III jacket. I know they are not as comfortable as the inflatables, especially for us girls, but the reason I prefer them is strictly peace of mind. With minimal care, there is no doubt they will work properly when it counts.


As for the boarding ladder, you can get a universal mount two step folding ladder for less than $75 at practically any marine supply store. I've helped my Dad install a hundred of them and they are an easy doityourself project. Excluding your PFD and fire extinguisher, it's the best money you can spend.


RollTide and Go Big Blue

sweetwater i think ky the law is that as long as you wear the inflatable you do not need another but if you take it off you do