Automatic PFD

[hogdaddy]

Bought an automatic PFD today, was wondering how much moisture(fog,rain, or even humidity)it can take before inflating?

[BanditMan]

I've had mine for about a year, been in some nasty downpours and all day rain. I'ts never gone off yet. I guess that can be good and bad, it may not even work. My wife wants me to jump in the pool with it and test it out, but I'm to much of a tight A** to buy the recharge kit just to play around with it. But I do know of people that got em wet and put them in storage boxes and they have gone off. So just hang them up to dry out in the open and you should be fine.:D

[hogdaddy]

Thanks for the reply Bandit!

[stratos185]

I have 2 of the Sospenders brand pfd's that are the automatic type and I personally think they are great. I wear mine all the time when I am on the water because if I should fall out of the boat and hit my head I would not be able to manually inflate it. There is a small item called a "Bobbin" on the same side of the co2 cylinder that desinegrates when water hits it and allows the pin to puncture the cylinder which is what inflated the vest. I had one of my vest self inflate as the bobbin was old and humid weather plus not letting it air out before putting it away caused it to inflate. I carry a spare rearming kit so I put it to good use. If you have the sospenders brand there should be a extra cartridge plus a manual conversion kit on the opposite side of the vest. BE safe and read and reread again the rearming instructions and get familiar with the vest. Its a simple design and easy to learn how it works.

[MLTSPCS]

Mustang Survival also makes one that will not "accidentally" go off. It costs a little more because it works on a different system than the water sensitive bobbins do. It basically works on hydrostatic pressure (the force water exerts). The vest has to actually be in at least 4" of water before it will inflate. Yeah it is more pricey at the initial purchase, but you won't have to rearm it due to humidity, fog, rain, wet storage, etc. If it goes off you needed it. About $240-260 but won't have to buy those pricey rearming kits. CJ.

[ranger0904]

I have one and i checked it in the shower last year. It only took about 30 seconds to activate. That made me fill good.

[Danny]

Hey hogdaddy... love that name... btw.

I have SOSpenders. I've had them for almost 5 years.. no 4. They went off for the first time this spring, and there is no question, it was my fault.

I wore them in some rain... no problem. I then stored them in my pickup truck, and it got really hot and sunny. That seems to be what did it. The heat and humidity in my truck seems to have built up enough to set them off. The good part is I now know they work...LOL

BTW, a little tip... remember these are only legal in your boat while you are wearing them. That means they don't count as one of the PFD's in your boat if you are not wearing them.

Second tip, and possibly even more important.... even though you have the automatic PFD, make sure you keep an extra one in your boat. Let's say you fall in, or they do go off automatically, you don't want your day to end right there. If you have an extra PFD for you to wear, you can continue to fish and be legal for the law and for tournaments, not to mention just the safety of it all.

I hope this helps.

Tight lines and God Bless

Danny

[artcarney_agr]

Do you guys constantly unhook and rehook your kill switches throughout the day? I have a feeling most don't. Unhooking and rehooking that kill switch seems about the same as putting a lifejacket on or off....

[Hogwild]

Are these type III or type V PFD's? Anything other than type III PFD's must be worn at all times. No exception tournament or not. Coast Guard Regulation unless you have other type III vest on board.

Type III inflatables are few and far between and only made in a manual mode. Auto inflates are all class V or II. Even if the type V has a manual pull cord, it still must be worn at all times.

Does anyone know of a class III vest with auto inflate? I would be interested in knowing the brand.

Was nailed by the coastguard earlier this year for wearing having a type V PFD and no other type III vest on board. They made us put them on and told us we could not take them off. Took the auto inflate type v vest back and got manual inflate type III vests.

Just a fyi if you are purchasing or thinking about purchasing. Make sure you know the regs.

[SpotBoy]

> Mustang Survival also makes one that will not
>"accidentally" go off. It costs a little more
>because it works on a different system than the water
>sensitive bobbins do. It basically works on hydrostatic
>pressure (the force water exerts). The vest has to actually
>be in at least 4" of water before it will inflate. Yeah
>it is more pricey at the initial purchase, but you won't have
>to rearm it due to humidity, fog, rain, wet storage, etc. If
>it goes off you needed it. About $240-260 but won't have to
>buy those pricey rearming kits. CJ.
Yea they are great unless you accidently drop it in the water as I did my partners. I thought ok I will just pay to have it rearmed. ALMOST stroked out when I saw the rearming kits are 75 DOLLARS Man they think am awful lot of their products. Oh well just don't drop it in and you will be ok. On the other hand that is what they are made for so guess it would be worth it if you fell in. lol

[Danny]

I keep my kill switch around my wrist, not attached to my PFD. This means I just slip it off my wrist when I stop, and slip it back on before I take off again.

Hope that helps.

Tight lines and God Bless

Danny

[Danny]

Hogwild,

There have been many discussion just to that point on here. SOSpenders are the type that are only considered viable if worn at all times. It even says that on the Sospenders.

As long as you wear the auto-inflate, you are OK. When I have mine with me, I wear them at all times. When I don't have them with me it is because I am lazy and have not yet rearmed my vest. LOL


Tight lines and God Bless

Danny