New rule in my boat

[Slew]

Fishing tournaments for so long it just becomes habit, like automatically putting my seatbelt on in the truck

This!! THat said I might switch to an inflatable one this year.

[HYDRO_69]

I have a work policy that states we have to wear them while "in or around water." The new hydrostatic self inflatable vest are much better than the old wafer style that were prone to go off for numerous reasons. One thing I will mention is you need to inspect and test them for leaks. Don't forget the co2 and trigger system have an expiration date on them. We have in water training that we have to go through every five years. It never fails every class we have one of them does not self inflate. I have went back to a regular vest. The time I spend on bridges and floodwaters I just want the extra protection. That being said I liked the inflatables on lakes, but hated the maintenance and regular testing they required.

[sierracharlie338]

Fishing tournaments I never did. If I can ever replace my boat I'll have to do a better job.


Sierracharlie out...

[BmacBmac1]

New rule in my boat

Good on you!

If anyone ever goes through the process of one of your best friends drowning, YOU and ALL that step foot in your or anyone’s boat will wear any life jacket available.

Never forget ya Kevin Duncan (aka TBH’r - Woody)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[lovemylegacy]

Over the years I have been present for 4 major incidents that could have easily ended in death. Some of these did end up with major injuries as in multiple surgeries and weeks in the hospital for some. I have been on a boat where one occupant was knock out and off the boat, under water unconscious. During the hurricane evacuations I went by Academy and bought a zipper bag full of life vests. The manager was there and we started a conversation. When I told him where we were headed he handed me self inflating life vest and said try it out and I'll make it 50% off. I wore it through the duration of the evacuations. I pretty much forgot I had it on.

I just feel like there is no reason to push the envelope. They have made safety so much more comfortable I just decided to draw the line. The new rule is if your feet are on my boat, you're wearing a life jacket, end of story.
_________________________

I agree, 100%. In my boat you put on your life vest before getting underway.

[DrBob]

So another piece of advice here:
Make sure it fits well and is tight.
A very close family friend.....one of those that is like an uncle but not really blood.....lost his life when his life jacket popped off.
He was a strong swimmer. Border patrol. On a fishing trip in the Rio Grande when the boat lost power and got sucked up near a weir dam overflow. As he fell in his arms went up.......he went down and the jacket kept floating.
So make sure you and your loved ones are wearing a PFD that fits correctly.

[Pedernal]

Great advice all around! For those that wear the inflatable type, I would recommend periodicly checking that the bladder does not have holes in it and will in fact hold air. Most if not all of the inflatables have a "straw" with a one way valve that can be used for oral inflation to test the bladder. It is also the back up in case the canister and/or activation mechanism fails on the personal flotation device (PFD).

As for kill switches, wear them aways. From my experiance, there appear to be two main types. One is built almost like a switch, when the lanyard is pulled a switch type lever gets flipped. The lever can easily be flipped back with or without the lanyard back in place. Being able to restart the boat is critical as someone besides the boat operation may need to restart the boat. The second type/style is almost like a push switch. Once the lanyard is pulled the switch will need to be pressed down and held down or the boat will not restart. For this type kill switch, I would recommend a back up lanyard be kept near the kill switch in case the operator is in the water and someone else needs to operate the boat. I personally prefer the lever-switch style as it requires minimal motor skills to reactivat in case of exposure to colder water/elements or an accident where fine motor skills could be marginalized.

Additionally, if there are people that frequently ride along with you make sure they know the basics of operating the boat (for example the kill switch) in case you are the one in the water needing to be helped.

[Coacheddy]

I bought the inflatable last year. To be honest, the “comfort factor” was why I didn’t wear one al the time before. $100 at Academy...and it’s like wearing a shirt.

[Uncle Saggy]

Great thread.
Yes, I used to keep a floatation device strapped behind the seat of my kayak because I "had to"......... have since purchased an inflatable, and like coacheddy said...... it's like wearing a shirt. Wouldn't consider getting on the water without it.




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[ace340cs]

Your Rules

[SKLOSS]

Picked up an auto inflatable from cabelas Black Friday sale. Need to wear one more often. Cheap life insurance!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[glen]

I issue all my guys- Mustang Survival HIT vests. Only issue I have is that after a couple weeks straight in 100 degree weather it irritates the back of my neck. Anyone have a unit they use that doesn't touch the back of the neck

[BowPro73]

...... and whoever is running the boat NEEDS to have the kill switch lanyard on their wrist!!!

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[glen]

Kill switch on wrist is not best idea. It can tangle in controls and wheel. Best place is carabeaner on belt loop or on low on pfd. But wrist is better than nothing at all. And carry an extra kill switch key- they get brittle and break when it gets cold. And holding your thumb on top of one for a Honda for 45 minutes in sub 35 degree weather is not enjoyable

[Leemo]

You guys are making me feel bad