This is an expensive product aimed at serious athletes, but the investment is likely to be worth it, considering the quality of its construction. It also features the brand’s patented Airescape technology for superior breathability. Filled with PE and EVA foam and lined with 100 percent recycled polyester, this bluesign-approved vest includes a high mesh back that sits comfortably against your kayak seat and low-cut sides for unrestricted, 360-degree arm movement. If you want a USCG-approved Type III life vest designed especially for kayaking, look no further than the Astral EV-Eight PFD. Sizes: SM, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL | Material: Foam inner, polyester outer | Flotation: At least 15.5 pounds | Weight: 2.35 pounds There are five sizes to choose from, with separate women’s and kids’ Reactor models also available. A concealed dual belt system with quick-release buckles fastens the vest, and it features a high-quality YKK zipper and overlock stitched, super-strength seams.
Constructed of closed-cell PVC marine foam and lined with 100 percent polyester, it features ultimate comfort-with a segmented core, anatomical flex points, and expansion panels that combine to ensure unrestricted movement.Īs a Type III inherently buoyant vest, it’s intended for wakeboarding, water skiing, and any other water sport that is conducted close to shore and involves a high likelihood of ending up in the water. The USCG-approved O’Neill Reactor Life Vest may be a relatively expensive choice, but its clever design makes up for its high price tag. Not suitable for extreme offshore conditions Coast Guard or an equivalent agency to meet legal requirements and for your peace of mind. Whatever your requirements, here are the best life vests for every on- and in-water situation. The latter is intended for accidental overboard situations and will “turn a casualty onto their back and maintain their airway above the water-even if they’re unconscious,” Dann points out. The former type is ideal for when you expect to be in the water (when stand-up paddling or wakeboarding, for example). Life vests typically feature inherently buoyant, padded foam, and they include lifejackets, which are inflated by a gas cylinder once in the water. Samantha Hughes, a water safety partner with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, sums them up as “buoyancy aids or fixed foam life vests, waist belts, and manually or automatically inflating lifejackets.” Each option varies in how it provides flotation, its level of flotation, and the activities for which it’s most suited.Īccording to Matt Dann of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, choices come in two main categories: buoyancy aids or life vests. There are many different kinds of PFD from which to choose. According to him, “the single greatest cause of death while boating is drowning, and nearly all victims are not wearing a lifejacket-between 83 and 86 percent in each of the last ten years.” Coast Guard’s Boating Safety Division, points out. Wearing one can save your life, as Verne Gifford, chief of the U.S. If you’re planning a fun day out on the water, a personal flotation device (also known as a PFD, buoyancy aid, lifejacket, or life vest) is a legal requirement in many states. Below, we detail our top picks in a few categories to help you choose the life vest that’s right for you and your activities on the water, as well as what to look for in terms of fit, comfort, and inflation method. While you should still have basic water-survival skills, such as swimming and water-treading capabilities, a PFD can keep you afloat in an emergency and make it easier to stay above water until you can get safely to a boat or land. Kevin Foley has been guiding whitewater rafting trips on Colorado’s Arkansas River for over 35 years with Performance Tours Rafting and says, “Cold water immersion is a very serious situation, so you want a PFD that will perform and function the way it’s supposed to.”
Warm, calm waters call for one type of vest, while cold, turbid waters require another. The type of water may dictate your type of PFD. Not only are life vests, or PFDs, vital safety equipment on the water, they’re often legally required,p depending on where you are and the type of water you’re on.
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