manual or auto PFDs

[Inlike]

I Have been away from boating for a few years but getting into it again..Been looking at PFDs and not sure which way to go..Advice>???

[scottar]

Both have their problems - get caught in an overturned hull with an automatic one and you are in a world of hurt. Fall out of a boat and get knocked out on the way with a manual - same deal. The auto ones can also go off if they get wet enough without going in the water - something to bare in mind if you have an open boat in very rough conditions. Realistically - you are the only one who can judge what will suit best for your particular boat and usage pattern. Also bare in mind that inflatable jackets require annual servicing at additional cost. I still have traditional jackets purely for this reason.

[Tangles]

Agree with Scottar….personally i have gone back to traditional jackets, two main reasons,

firstly servicing them, and doing that i felt they didnt seem as robust as the traditional ones with corrosion on older cylinders, checking bladders,

secondly your also relying on a blowup bladder, well id rather not…i dont really trust them.. but they are great for space and more user friendly to wear if your fishing in them all day… but i threw them and went back to good traditional jackets

[Almako]

I'll third that. I have gone back to the standard jackets (not bricks) because the annual service fee is around $35-$40 at Marinesafe in Springwood, this doesn't include replacement of the cylinder if it is out of date or rusted. I had 4 jackets on board and didn't want the responsibility of doing annual checks myself and therefore had professionals do it for me for a couple of years and it's just to expensive with everything else boat/fishing/diving related, each year was coming around way to fast.
Also had my boat in for a service a couple of years ago when they were broken into, a whole heap of stuff was pinched out of my boat, they took the std life jackets but didn't want the yoke jackets. Even thieves don't want them :)

[Lordspink]

I was down in Tassie a few months ago and happened to see a fishing show been recorded, they were doing a piece on life jackets, had all sorts and people jumping in with them on etc, surprisingly about 3/6 of the inflatable pfds they used, didn't inflate properly (only one side), non of them rolled the people over if they were face down either. Suppliers were there and didn't really have an explanation, if you have the space i'd stick with traditional.

[Crunchy]

Not all brands require annual servicing and they are not hard to check yourself (Manually activated ones) and if you keep a log of your checks that is good enough to remain in service. All you do is blow up the jacket tight (Manually) and leave overnight to make sure it hasn't delfated by morning, check stitching etc to make sure in good condition. Remove cylinder and weigh it to ensure it is within spec (Stamped on the cylinder), stick your finger into the firing mechanism to test the firing pin is working by pulling the cord (This hurts - they are sharp), re-assemble and you are done. But certainly they have their limitations, I wear one, even in the bay, as I mostly fish on my own and its better than none but I also have one of the brick PFD1's as another option in an emergency.

Interesting that they bit hit and miss though as above.....

Which non-inflatable ones are you guys wearing full time? Might be better option if comfortable.

[Inlike]

Great feedback .Thanks everyone.!!!!!!!

[the gecko]

This is a difficult decision. Are you fishing solo a lot? At night? Is collision your main risk? If you answer yes, yes, and yes, then you might want auto inflate. If you cross bars, then you might want manual inflate, so your not caught in an upturned hull.

I had the auto inflate go off three times due to a bit of water in the boat. This gets expensive. I removed the auto inflate (after checking with the manufacturer that this was OK) and now it functions as a manual pull.

Self testing annually is easy, and dates are recorded inside the jacket. Blow it up and wait for 24 hrs, and weigh the bulb, check the firing pin. Ive been checked 3 times by water police and fisheries, they did ask me HOW I serviced them (finer details), and they asked if I had the manufacturers specs from the website for servicing, and I said yes, so they were ok with it too.

[cau404]

Having recently studied all auto inflate units on the market, there is only one that will not go off if it gets wet! It must be submerged more than 100mm to activate. They are a bit more than your cheap shit chinese ones from BCF, but are 10 times better for what they have. Check out "Crewsaver" vests that feature the Hammar auto inflate unit. Link below.
http://www.adventuresafety.com.au/life-jackets/crewsaver-ergofit-coastal-190n-pfd-hydrostatic-hammar-standard-automatic-light-and-hood/