Looking for a new PFD

[Greg Nolan]

I’m thinking of getting a new pfd, and would welcome the advice/thoughts of others.

Generally, I paddle with an inflatable pfd in the canoe -- and I put it on if the water becomes rough or if the wind becomes unexpectedly strong. If I’m canoeing in cold water, I wear a more traditional foam pfd (a utility grade one got at Old Town's annual Labor Day factory sale), which I find uncomfortable, and which I will not wear in warm weather because it is like putting a warm jacket on -- the main reason I got the inflatable.

I am a competent swimmer, and the few times I have inadvertently gone over in a canoe, I have not had any problem, whether wearing a pfd or not. In the conditions we usually paddle in, it would be paranoid to be concerned about being knocked unconscious -- no class IV water for me! -- and as I said above, when I am in rough water, including even easy rapids, I wear a pfd. Our usual paddling is on flat water -- small lakes, streams, bogs, tidal creeks, and the like.

I do expect to be paddling a bit more than in the past in really cold water, and just generally, my wife is not comfortable with my relying on the inflatable -- so I am looking for a better “regular” pfd, and one that might be tolerable to wear on a warmish sunny summer day.

Pfd’s these days seem designed for use by kayakers -- does this matter? Do people use the pockets and gear tie-downs that some pfd’s have?

The Astral V Eight looks like a possibility --
http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/59933?feat=8098-GN2&page=astral-v-eight-pfd
It is supposed to be designed to be cooler than most, and otherwise seems ok. Does anyone know if the “cool” features actually do anything?

Two other possible candidates are
LL Bean Discovery
http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/54376?feat=59933-ppxs&dds=y
and
Kokatat® Bahia Tour
http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/49858?feat=8098-GN2&page=kokatat-bahia-tour-pfd

Does anyone have any experience with these?

I have been looking (on the internet) primarily at pfd’s sold by Bean, because I will be able to try them on there -- but I would consider something else if given a good reason to do so.

 

[pklonowski]

I'll suggest looking around at brick-and-mortar stores, and actually trying them on, before buying. Different PFDs will fit different body types, so my favorite PFD may not work well for you at all. It really comes down to personal comfort, more than anything.

As for the colder paddling conditions, I don't know how you're defining "colder," but give some serious thought to a dry or wet suit. Dress for the water temp, not the air temp.

Note that I err on the side of safety. Your comfort zone will be different than anyone else's.

 

[Greg Nolan]

Paul --

Thanks. I fully intend to actually try on a pfd before I buy one -- I've worn a good many different pfd's over the years, and am well aware that a comfortable fit cannot be assumed. I've window-shopped on the internet only to see what's out there these days, and my curiosity has been raised particularly about the ventilation claims of the Astral V Eight -- it's not something easily tested in a store.

"Colder" means a nice day in central Maine in April or November/early December -- sometimes eggshell ice at the shoreline or in slack water. I've been thinking about maybe a wet or dry suit, but I would want a pfd in any event, right?

Greg

 

[pklonowski]

PFD absolutely. As I've told people with whom I canoe in winter, the PFD makes it easier to find the body...

I don't know how well the extra venting works, since my PFDs don't have it. Mine are too warm enough in summer, that's for sure. I should have test paddled a vented one this summer, when we were running in the 90s regularly. Seems they should help. Oh well.

 

[MGC]

I am one of the folks that loath wearing a PFD...but I do wear one when I don't trust the conditions, on big crossings, in the ocean, if a ranger tells me to and also in whitewater (the real stuff, not in riffs).
I am really curious to hear from folks using inflatable PFD's. It seems like these would be a nice alternative to the Kevlar sauna vests that have been offered in the past.
I recently noticed that the NYS DEC officers are using these.

http://www.rei.com/product/814352/mti-helios-inflatable-pfd
http://www.manventureoutpost.com/pr...ble-Universal-PFD-Red-(3100RED).html?google=1

http://boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/082000c.htm

 

[Greg Nolan]

As noted above, I have been using a manually activated inflatable pfd -- made by Sospenders.

I chose the manually activated style because I expect to be able to pull the rip cord if I need the assistance of the pfd, but don't wish it to inflate if I've simply swamped or turned over in a no-danger situation.

I am concerned that in cold water, however, that I may not be able to react to pull the rip cord -- my understanding is that the shock of really cold water can be immediately demobilizing. Further, when the water is that cold, the warmth of a standard pfd should not be a problem. So I am looking for a regular pfd for such situations, and one that might be comfortable even in warmer conditions. I do not expect to give up my inflatable for summer use.

In serious rapids, where there might be some likelihood of collision between head and rock (and/or seriously cold water), I think I would want a regular pfd or an automatically inflatable one.

As I usually use it, I find the inflatable quite satisfactory. It takes little room in the bottom of the canoe, fulfilling the legal mandate to have one aboard. When I do wear it, it is very light, does not create the sauna effect that a regular pfd can, and does not interfere with paddling or other arm or body motion. When the water is still warm, but the air cold (early fall), a sweater or light jacket is easily worn under the inflatable. A camera or binoculars strap sometimes hangs up a bit on it, but less than with a regular pfd.

I like the inflatable, and intend to keep using it. But I think there are conditions when more may be called for, and since some new pfd's make a claim to be more comfortable, I'd like to know if anyone has any experience with them.