i climb aboard my friends bass boat on occastion.  his "boat vest" are not only uncomfy, they dont fit me.  they are HUGE!!  i know plenty on what i like in my kayak fishing PFD, but searching the boat version was confusion.   i dont think i want an inflatable type.  not for the infrequency i actually boat fish with him.  is there a comfortable all-day wearing boat vest?  venting for summer would be nice.  

 

i want my own vest, so i can be 100% pfd compliant.  i promised my wife.  (and myself)

if you think an inflatable type is my only hope, okay.  i can accept that.  but they are $$$.   i am hoping for $

An Onyx AM-24

Auto/Manual inflatable

Can find them for under $100

 

It's what I got - gets good reviews and I've even seen some pros wearing one.

From that - the next step up for me would be a Mustang Elite

When it came time to replace the two inflatable PFD’s in my boat, I wasn’t really looking forward to dropping a lot of coin. However, for me it comes down to how much is your life and that of a passenger in your boat worth? I went with a couple of these… https://mustangsurvival.com/collections/inflatable-pfds/products/hit-inflatable-pfd-with-sailing-harness-auto-hydrostatic-md3184-02
 

*btw, the whistle was a nice included feature that most would never think of being a necessary safety feature 

A pfd is a pfd no matter what boat you're in.  If you have one that's comfortable for you to wear then wear it.  A kayak PFD is specialized in that its cut to allow paddling better, often has a bit more airflow, and often has pockets.  If its comfy though, wear it on the boat.  It will still keep you afloat if you go in.

In my world, a quality inflatable is the most comfortable for all day wear.

Can't even say how many times I've worn mine right into the truck and backed half way down the ramp before I realized I was still wearing it.  The trade off is mainainance / CO2 recharge.  

Type III's totally work but are not my idea of all day comfort.

btw - the inflatable doesn't 'count' as a Life Jacket unless you're wearing it.

I prefer Mustang.

A-Jay

Why not just wear the kayak one in the motor boat? 

2 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Why not just wear the kayak one in the motor boat? 

I tried it.  it wasn't ideal.  the back floatation rested against the seat back of the boat. I just wore it when we were under power.  I want a full time thing.

3 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

I tried it.  it wasn't ideal.  the back floatation rested against the seat back of the boat. I just wore it when we were under power.  I want a full time thing.

In that case, you may just have to try a bunch on. I have about 10-12 life jackets, I use them interchangeably from kayak to canoe to Jon boat to bass boat to swimming off the dock

 

this one is my current favorite, floats like a cork. I have to do uncomfortable things all day at work so wearing a life jacket ain’t so bad compared to crawling through an attic 

 

 

 

I've worn both inflatable and standard PFD. Though inflatables are more comfortable, my vote is a good standard PFD that you can try on and make sure it fits snug enough that it won't ride up above your arms and head. Meaning if any PFD isn't properly adjusted, it won't keep you above water when fully clothed. Summer is the best time to test your PFD in shallow water by jumping in (of course don't dive headfirst or cannonball) fully clothed and see what happens. It will open your eyes and make you aware of what it's like should you go overboard "for real". And test whether your inflatable is properly armed or not.

This is the one I wear: https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Onyx_Tackle_Warehouse_Life_Vest_Red/descpage-OTWSPLV.html

 

Catch it when they have a 15% off sale. It's very comfortable, the Medium fits perfectly (I'm 5'10", 175) and has a zipper closure plus buckles vs the buckles only so feels more secure. Very comfortable and red color so very visible in and out of the water (though not as much as orange or yellow).

Saw this one on YouTube today . Might help your back against the bass boat seat problem while ironically the guy wearing it fishes from kayaks 

On 8/12/2022 at 1:56 PM, blackrain said:

I've worn both inflatable and standard PFD. Though inflatables are more comfortable, my vote is a good standard PFD that you can try on and make sure it fits snug enough that it won't ride up above your arms and head.

Beat me to it.  I was about to say the exact same thing.

On 8/13/2022 at 10:18 PM, Glenn said:

Beat me to it.  I was about to say the exact same thing.

As it turns out, styrofoam floats!!!!

On 8/13/2022 at 7:11 PM, TnRiver46 said:

Saw this one on YouTube today . Might help your back against the bass boat seat problem while ironically the guy wearing it fishes from kayaks 

any idea what vest that is?  

1 minute ago, Darth-Baiter said:

any idea what vest that is?  

Sorry I don’t. He’s a super nice dude though, fishes with some buddies of mine. I’ll PM you his channel name, maybe you can send him a message or something 

i got this bud.  thanks for the continued help..always.

 

haha..