Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Inflatable PFD

I bought a couple last year to keep in the boat. They are a lot more comfortable than the old style life jackets.

I have a couple of them and wear one when I'm boating alone. One is a West Marine and the other an Onyx, both are auto inflation. The Onyx is slightly smaller and only rated for inshore use, the West Marine for offshore. The difference is bladder size, the bigger one has more inflation for offshore use.

A standard vest might be marginally better but I fish in the summer time and there's no way I'd wear one, they're too bulky and hot. An inflatable that's on you when you go overboard is a hell of a lot more useful than a regular one that's inside the boat because it's too much of a pain to wear.

I use the inflatable that the paddle boarders use. Goes around the waste like a belt. Once inflated it has a horse collar type air bag. Once I realized how hard it is to get back in boat if I go overboard I bought this one. When I was 20, no problem. Not now no more. I suppose if I go over unconscious, i'll drown.

When fishing in chit cold weather the normal pfd goes on. Helps to keep warm.

I have the Mustang Survival auto inflate. Will not set off in the rain, needs to be 2' under to inflate

My current inflatable is manual operation only. I bought it when I had a kayak and got splashed a lot and didn't want a water-activated one. I wear a PFD all the time, period. They estimate that 90% of the men who drown while out alone fell in while trying to pee over the side. That makes sense, and the last two men who were found dead in our local reservoir had their zippers down (I'm told by rescue folks.) An inflatable is so comfortable that you forget you have it on. I'm thinking of getting an auto/manual one as well. BTW, an inflatable doesn't count per the Coast Guard unless you are actually wearing it. A stowed one does not meet their "one per boater" regulation.

I blow mine up with the mouth tube every year to make sure there are no leaks, and replace the CO2 cylinder every other year.

I also have a regular PFD for cold weather wear. An Onyx I got from Cabela's for $59.95. It's a very good PFD and even has hand warmer pockets - but if you order one, get one two or three sizes larger than you wear because they run VERY small. LINK

Lastly, if you have a kill switch in your boat, use it. There's a new Coast Guard law that mandates it, and it's just common sense anyway. The last thing you'd want to see if you fell in and you're bobbing around in your inflated PFD would be your boat coming back at you. Or zooming away, for that matter.

That's what I use. They are far and away the most comfortable. You do give up a measure of protection with them, but the best PFD is one that you will wear! Boating accidents that render boaters unconscious are very rare and normally easily avoidable. On rare occasion a boater will fall on a boat, hit their head then fall overboard. In those cases the only PFDs that might turn the boater face up are also the ones that people will least likely wear due to their bulk. Back to the OPs question. Those PFDs hit the sweet spot in comfort and protection. There are normally very good sales during National Safe Boating Week.

Some inflatables will meet the carriage requirement on recreational vessels even if they are not worn. The label tells you whether they must be worn or not. Of course it's crazy to buy a nice inflatable and not wear it.

A life jacket is like a pistol. The best one is the one you got on.

The inflatable PFD’s must be worn to count as one of the CG required PFD’s. If your boat has a cabin or wheelhouse that you pilot the vessel from then I would NOT get an auto inflate but rather the manual inflate. A few years back during the west coast Tuna Classic several guys were running offshore for albacore and doing a demonstration report on the 29’ Defiance Guadalupe when the skipper made a mistake coming into the harbor (across a bar iirc) and took a good wave abeam and swamped the boat. Everyone got out quickly except the skipper. His auto inflate PFD did just what it was supposed to do and inflated. The problem was that not only was the boat upside down but the cabin filled with water and his PFD pinned him to the floor (which was the ceiling in an upside down vessel). He had a decent air pocket which gave him the seconds needed to formulate and execute a self-rescue. If I recall correctly the skipper used his knife to quickly cut the bladder and negate the buoyancy of his PFD and open the cabin door to swim out. Everyone survived but according to the skipper (an experienced skipper too) other than screwing the pooch by taking a big wave abeam he said the biggest take away from that incident was tailoring the PFD to the vessel....ie open boat versus one with a cabin or enclosed spaces.

I’ve thought about those PFD’s but I’ve never pulled the trigger. Mostly because I rarely wear a PFD and also I find those inflatables are less cumbersome than regular PFD’s but, depending on the PFD, not enough to entice me into dropping $150-200 on a PFD that doesn’t count unless worn. If it’s really dicey and the wind and swells kick up enough that I feel the need to wear a PFD I’m more likely to throw on my Mustang work suit. If I put my work suit on then the conditions are bad enough that I’ll have my first mate (wife or son usually) wear my cold water immersion suit and seek temporary shelter in a protected bay, cove or leeward side of an island. Unless we’re offshore in which case it’s a slow and methodical albeit tiring slog keeping the bow pointed INTO the swells. As I’ve gotten older, wiser and less likely to take chances doing dumb crap I follow the weather and ocean conditions religiously and will always err on the side of safety. Conditions can change rapidly offshore so it helps to be able to read the water and weather. No fish is worth dying for although when I was younger I was willing to chance it.

We’d run 65 miles west/southwest out of Westport in an 18’ Grady White so weather and conditions were extremely important. It was usually a wet roller coaster of a ride for 3-3.5hrs....4 or 5 a few times. 😫. I’ve gotten to the point where I’ll chase tuna if the current brings them within 30 miles of the beach, otherwise I’d prefer to hop on one of the fast 6 packs so that I can relax and enjoy the day.

Have one and wear it all the time, very comfortable.

There are some inflatable models that meet the carriage requirements for recreational vessels even when not being worn.

They are great because you will wear it 100% of the time and they basically disappear on your body. I have 4 and have never had an inadvertent inflate. As mentioned you need to be aware that they only ‘count’ as a life preserver if you are actually wearing it, unlike a foam jacket. Thus if you are inspected and have only your inflatable and are not wearing it, you will get a ticket. I keep a foam jacket on board for each passenger as well as the required throawable. The Onyx A/M brand is the same as the Bass Pro A/M brand. One last thing, the cartridges and bobbins expire over time, so they are considered a service/maintenance item.

For the third time, that is not always the case. There are some inflatables that meet the carriage requirement even when not being worn.

Yes, that’s true. I didn’t make it to page two while typing. The Onyx/BPS A/M models the OP is likely looking at do not count when not worn.

If dropped in any, water they inflate. Keep a spare charge handy.

For cold weather boating, I recommend a floater coat.

I found this steal today for $2.50.



[img]https://i.imgur.com/Y3rMwwE.jpg?1[/img]

Another note about inflatable PFDs. The labels will be changing over the course of the coming years and some unfamiliar symbols will appear in the place of the Type designations. As long as the Type designated life jackest remain in good and serviceable condition and are used in compliance with the label, they are still authorized for use. It will be important to read the label on the new ones to understand them.

https://safeboatingcampaign.com/news/new-life-jacket-labels/

https://safeboatingcampaign.com/wearitlifejacket/en/read-it-new-label.html

And also for the third time, Paul, MOST inflatables do not count if not worn. Commonly available ones are Type V, which do not count.

Wow, that is a steal!

It doesn't always apply on small water bodies, but it does often apply in larger water bodies. If you need your PFD you may also need to be seen to that end I encourage the use of orange or other brightly colored PFDs. They are much easier for searchers to see. You could always put an orange bandanna in the pocket of that one and wrap it around your melon if you needed to be seen.

WEAR THE THING!!

My father drowned at 3 in the afternoon, Sunday, 19 August, 1984, off a point at Christy Island. Wabigoon Lake.

The PFD was hanging on the boat seat.

I apologize Rocky. I didn't see that qualifier mentioned in any of the posts I quoted when I wrote that.