Since my life jacket has become my new friend I am wanting to order a good life jacket for comm fishing. I do alot of bending over and would like a life jacket/pfd that has that in mind. I know alot of you guys where pfd's at work all the time. Would you suggest a certain brand or type that you feel is the best for working in. Looking to order on Monday. Thanks
Randy

I would imagine the ones with the co2 cartridges are the best for comfort and flexability.

http://waterrescue.marsars.com/it100010.html



I have one like this that I use when I go offshore

Those inflatable ones are real nice. I used to fish bass tournaments alot, and thats what I wore. Doesnt even feel like ya have one on. Doesnt get in the way and is not bulky at all.

This is the one I have and love it.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... hasJS=true

SOSupender




After my Poseidon adventure a few years ago, that was what was stocked on the boat.

Dude I turned on the tv last night and there was ole Moose Merta up live and in person talkin about life jacket safety and floatin on your back........I yelled at Dorcinda and almost spilled my drink. I know me a t v celebrity now.

I know a lot of people like the inflatable ones for comfort and ease of mobility, but after having a family member drown 2 years ago when one failed to deploy I'll stick to the regular style.

The one that HuntingRDR showed gives the most flexibility for any activity. There is a sensor that once wet activates the co2 and inflates. Now, with you doing fishing, you may want to look at that. Do you get soaking wet when your fishing? Rain water won't activate it, nor would just splashing of water.


Or just get you one similar to what off-shore workers use. They use those on boats and have more avtivity that you do. They also have the inflatable ones for commercial too.


For the winter months I have a regular jacket that is like a coat. Gives all mobility as if you were wearing a coat and gives you the floatating of a PFD.

i wear one like the one brads posted at work every day.

if u buy one that fits good, it isn't in the way.

Thanks for the replys. I was all about getting a auto inflate and started doing searches and got scared with all the stories of the unwanted inflate stories. With me being out on the water by myself I;m thinking that I need a pfd that will work if would slip and hit my head and roll off into the water. So I got to thinking I need a regular jacket that I wear from start to finish. Thanks again. Got my new Grundens on the way and now I need to get my pfd on the way.
Randy

BM the next time I'm down your way I will stop by and sign your tshirt. I have been worn out by the media but I want others to learn from my mishap.
Randy

you are definatly in the "hard to kill" catagory randy, but one of these years you will have to start doing the math back from 9...............for your cold weather fishing i wonder if a flotation suit would work, great for running boat in cold weather, provides hypothermia protection, but may be to warm when you are pulling nets. i have a manual inflate co2 for goose hunting with waders, and wile not perfect, it is a lot better than the standard pfd i never wear. will send you a used survival suit if you want to try one, got an old one kicking around.
db

http://boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/pfdbasics.htm

Personally i feel that a life jacket that has to be activated either manually or with a certain condition is useless. You can't bet your life on a mechanical device. One that floats you on your back is the best for incase you get knocked out and such. Type 2 or 5 might be best for ya. Type 1 is the safest but it's bulky.

Well I went with the one Mudguns brother in law is wearing in the picture he posted.
I have been wearing the type III we all have in our storage bins and can say I am 100 percent miserable with it on. I put my money on the Cabelas 3500 auto/man inflate vest like huntingrdr posted. I was really thinking the same way pintail58 is thinking but as Canuck mentioned if you ain't wearing it ..... Rassling nets on a daily basis and having the gill net mesh hanging up on my life jacket is driving me nuts. I promised my wife that I would wear my safety equipment no matter what and plan to keep that promise. That is why I went with the auto/manual type vest.
Thanks for your suggestions and replys.
Canuck if I counted back from 9 I would be in the negative numbers

I would be VERY surprised if a retail inflatable PFD would be OSHA approved.

It would obviously be Type V approved, but OSHA.. I would ask Safety before I dropped a C Note on one.

Sterns makes one that is USCG and OSHA approved, runs over $150.

There are several classic styles out there. In the Reproduction realm there are several, yet expensive....

To keep them from inflating accidentally, change the "bobbin" once in a while. It is basically a paper patch that disolves with water. After a while in the humidity and getting caght in the rain they slowly start to disolve. I change mine once per year.