I went to BPS and tried on the $240? Mustang and the $79 BPS that is made by Onyx. I ended up liking the fit of the BPS one so I got it. It's a manual/automatic and is actually fairly light and comfortable.

FWIW

I picked up the same jacket last weekend and called the company. Come to find out there is a date stamped on the yellow bobbin inside the mechanism that needs to be within 3yrs. of date not the C02 cylinder date as i was first told. Now i gota wear it !!

I've got one of the Mustang HIT vests and I wear it nearly all the time.  I have one of the bobbin type auto inflatables and it went off in my fishing truck after being stored in hyper hot & humid conditions.  Only happened once.  Now it is my borrowers vest, the one I give to any guy who is in the boat with me.

FWIW

I picked up the same jacket last weekend and called the company. Come to find out there is a date stamped on the yellow bobbin inside the mechanism that needs to be within 3yrs. of date not the C02 cylinder date as i was first told. Now i gota wear it !!

I saw that, btw nice Avatar fish!

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Tournament-3500-Auto-PFD/1806463.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3FrecordsPerPage%3D18%26No%3D0%26N%3D0%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dcabelas%2Btournament%2B3500%26search%3DSearch&No=0&Ntt=cabelas+tournament+3500

This is what we use, on sale of course. Super comfy and light

Thanks guys, I like the looks of the vests with the single strap down the back verses the ones with the 2 straps that make a V. However those are the more expensive ones. ;(

Another question if it's not being worn, do the inflatable ones still count as a PFD if you get checked by the Game Warden?

 

No they do not count if not being worn. That's in PA.

I know it's a little late on this posting but just adding 1 1/2 cents worth. I have had two heart attacks and a stroke and now I am retired so I do fish alone a lot. Not too many of my friends at my age are retired ! But I did promise the wifey I would not only buy but wear a decent life jacket. I was at BPS and shopping for a new jacket when the sales guy showed me the new inflatables . I tried on a few and was really surprised that the one on sale for $79.00 was the comfiest. It is simply an Onyx A/M 24 with the BPS label. But as stated here. I don't wear it for the game warden, I don't wear it for a tourney, I don't even wear it cause I told the wife I would. I wear it cause I'd like to see my Grandkids and Wife, and kids, after falling out of the boat when something does go bad. As far as Auto or Manual, If I can wear a contraption that is smarter and quicker than I can be to save my life, well what the heck I think I will. That's just my 1 1/2 cents worth.  To each his own , I was also invincible at one time too. Tight lines to everyone...

 

I wear the old style life jacket. I always have my killed switch hooked up. I found a jacket that is comfortable to me and I don't have to worry if it will work or not, I guess old age has something to do with my decision. It is not the law here to wear one or have the kill switch hooked up, it's something I do so i can fish the next time.

On Tuesday, March 04, 2014 at 9:24 AM, Hi Salenity said:

I went to BPS and tried on the $240? Mustang and the $79 BPS that is made by Onyx. I ended up liking the fit of the BPS one so I got it. It's a manual/automatic and is actually fairly light and comfortable.

I have a similar one. It's an automatic manual but can be made to just be a manual.

i "upgraded" from a standard paddling PFD to an Onyx 24 A/M auto inflate and would never go back!  the inflatable type is so comfortable you forget you're wearing it and that's the difference maker for me.

On February 15, 2016 at 8:58 AM, gardnerjigman said:

I have a similar one. It's an automatic manual but can be made to just be a manual.

How do you make it manual only? 

Mine has a "bobbin" in it that you can remove to make it manual only. Even has a label that pops out of the cartridge showing it's in manual only mode. 

Another Onyx a/m 24 deluxe user. Been wearing mine from the moment I step on the boat until the boat leaves the water for two years now. Totally forget I'm wearing it except for those times I forget to unhook my kill switch and it slingshots into my face.

If you get an automatic, get a rearming kit at the same time. The last thing you want is to take a dive in the middle of a tournament or such and then be without a functional vest the rest of the day. I keep a rearming kit in a watertight container on the boat.