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.
http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/pao/ne..._near_dams.htm
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.
Sent from my smartphone using Forum Runner Mobile App
Reply With Quote