On August 25, 2016 at 4:24 AM, AndrewJ said:

Well i went ahead and bought the Mustang Survival for the wife and myself.  Got a good deal on them ($70 off each one).  Now I hope mine fits me.  Did a quick measure and I should have 2 inches to spare haha.  Thanks for the input and the shaming, looking at you Ajay .

Where did you get them for that price?

And how long do these PFDs last?

 

8 hours ago, tcbass said:

Where did you get them for that price?

I got them for 180 a piece and the shipping was minimal.  I purchased them from Hodges Marine online.  The shipping is taken a long time though, just an fyi.

8 hours ago, tcbass said:

And how long do these PFDs last?

I dont have an answer for you on this one sorry.

On 8/26/2016 at 10:09 PM, tcbass said:

How long are these good for?

I want to say the triggering mechanism is good for 3 or 4 years and then that will have to be replaced. It's $60-$80 i think which is about twice the cost of a normal auto inflate rearming kit, but again there's no accidental discharges so you aren't losing money there. 

2 hours ago, WIGuide said:

I want to say the triggering mechanism is good for 3 or 4 years and then that will have to be replaced. It's $60-$80 i think which is about twice the cost of a normal auto inflate rearming kit, but again there's no accidental discharges so you aren't losing money there. 

$60-$80 for the CO2 cartridge only?

Are these the same ones used in paintball guns that are $8 a piece?

37 minutes ago, tcbass said:

$60-$80 for the CO2 cartridge only?

Are these the same ones used in paintball guns that are $8 a piece?

No, the cartridges themselves are similar, but that's not where the bulk of the cost is. You're paying for the automatic trigger part of the vest that attaches to the CO2 cartridge. It all comes off the vest and a new one goes in it's place to ensure automatic operation. 

1 minute ago, WIGuide said:

No, the cartridges themselves are similar, but that's not where the bulk of the cost is. You're paying for the automatic trigger part of the vest that attaches to the CO2 cartridge. It all comes off the vest and a new one goes in it's place to ensure automatic operation. 

 

Ah. Sounds like automatic bs. lol. 

 

They say bullet resistant vests need to be changed each year bc of breakdown from sun and sweat. Do we ever change seat belts for the same reason? No. 

5 minutes ago, tcbass said:

 

Ah. Sounds like automatic bs. lol. 

 

They say bullet resistant vests need to be changed each year bc of breakdown from sun and sweat. Do we ever change seat belts for the same reason? No. 

Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, but being that that's the only thing keeping me afloat It's worth the cost. I'm sure you could push it longer if you wanted, but that's your choice. 

On 8/18/2016 at 8:12 PM, whitwolf said:

AJ and others, do you wear your PFD while fishing or only when the boat Is under power?

In order for your PFD to "count" as far as the law is concerned,  an inflatable must  be worn at all times.

On August 26, 2016 at 8:09 PM, tcbass said:

 

How long are these good for?

Mine just arrived... The CO2 unit says to change it in 2021 so roughly 5 years is my guess

10 hours ago, dave said:

In order for your PFD to "count" as far as the law is concerned,  an inflatable must  be worn at all times.

 

What do you mean count? Do some states say you have to wear your lifejacket the entire time you're on the water?

Not sure I would trust an auto-inflator. But I always wear my ONYX PFD when on the kayak. I'm an excellent swimmer, beat a bunch of guys one time that said they could swim a lake. 45 minutes later only one of us was sitting on the opposite shore... Still, when fishing and on a kayak or boat you could easily tank it and get hit in the head, or drop all your stuff. Best not to have to worry about your head staying above water in that scenario. Wear the PFD no matter what. Drowning is no way to go. Just saw an article today on one. Guy didn't know how to swim, no PFD, drowned in 9 ft of water.

3 hours ago, dwh4784 said:

Not sure I would trust an auto-inflator

Isnt your ONYX an auto inflator? 

Any recomendation on traditional style life jacket? I want two for my boat.

Dave makes an excellent point.  If someone checks your boat for safety equipment on the water, your PFD will not count unless you are wearing it.  I was checked by Fish and Game in Florida on the water with no other life preserver on board.  He said I would have gotten a ticket if I hadn't been wearing the PFD.  I would check your state regulations.

Frank

10 hours ago, tcbass said:

 

What do you mean count? Do some states say you have to wear your lifejacket the entire time you're on the water?

Dave makes an excellent point.  If someone checks your boat for safety equipment on the water, your PFD will not count unless you are wearing it.  I was checked by Fish and Game in Florida on the water with no other life preserver on board.  He said I would have gotten a ticket if I hadn't been wearing the PFD.  I would check your state regulations.

Frank

 Like this

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THIS...

INFLATABLE is the key.

9 hours ago, AndrewJ said:

Isnt your ONYX an auto inflator? 

No, it's a ONYX MoveVent Dynamic Paddle Sports Vest. Was like $50 on Amazon. The mesh back makes it so comfortable, I used a normal life jacket for my first couple trips and it was not very comfy.

I have a couple Cabela's like these that I got for myself and my daughter. I don't like mine though because the back flotation interferes with the kayak seat. I'll be getting one with no flotation in that area.http://www.cabelas.com/product/boating/life-jackets-vests/fishing-boating-life-jackets|/pc/104794380/c/104741280/sc/104328180/cabela-s-vista-paddle-mango-pfd/1962452.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Ffishing-boating-life-jackets%2F_%2FN-1100591%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104328180