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bj
10-08-2004, 03:12 PM
Interested to know what others think about inflatable life jackets?I have had one for many years[Secumar brand] and although I only generally wear it when crossing bars etc, I often had unfounded reserves about them so much so that I now wear a positive buoyancy jacket.
They are comfortable to wear definately more comfortable to wear than a positive buoyancy jacket.Mine had a cylinder for the initial inflation and a mouth piece if for any reason you want to deflate it, for swimming etc and then it can be manually inflated again.Like most of us I carry a couple of gaffs,knives,hooks,reef anchors and many other things,boat fittings etc that could puncture an inflatable jacket.As we all know when the s..t hits the fan anything can happen even though gaffs have covers on the pointy end etc,or as my fishing mate said thats the risk you take,but I would like to try to have the odds more in my favour.
The reason I first bought mine was I read that most drownings on ocean bars were from wave action and this particular Secumar jacket had a clear plastic face cover that had a few small breather holes but the face cover would help to prevent the initial force from entering the nostrils and thus drowning.Just a few thoughts,what do others think?

blaze
10-08-2004, 04:49 PM
hi bj
IMO the inflatable jackets are a good thing if ya dont need them, my reason for that is that the time ya need them is if tossed outa the boat, knocked out in the process and then it wont inflate because most people buy them without the auto inflators.
I like a good quality pfd1 (not the cheap one supplied with a new boat) and i wear it 90% of the time.
cheers
blaze

megafish71
10-08-2004, 04:59 PM
I have good Huchwilco inflatable pfds. I check these regularly and stow them seperately onboard the boat. The thing I really like about these is they do not take up much room to store and are very comfortable to wear when conditions are not the best.
Ron

subzero
12-08-2004, 03:20 PM
I swear by them. We use the Stormy Seas, 3 seperate inflation cells so if you puncture 1 it shouldnt be a drama, thats the theory anyhow. (They are also very hardwearing and durable).
The good thing about an inflatable is if the boat overturns while crossing a bar, hopefully you can swim clear before activating the inflation pin. If you were wearing a Standard PFD it is unlikely you will get out if trapped underneath a vessel and wearing it without taking it off or leaving it behind anyhow. (Jump in your pool, try putting on a life jacket in the water, bloody hard, have someone keep an eye on you in case you get into strife... try swimming with it on... it is an absolute bas#*ard)
Like Blaze says, if you get knocked out then you have problems. If's and buts included, if you get knocked out and you are wearing a PFD and are trapped underneath the boat you are still possibly going to drown. If your numbers up, it's up.
Many people do not get the chance to grab a life jacket stored under all their bits and pieces in the bow or where ever they keep them on the boat in an emergency.
I wear the Stormy Seas vest as a normal piece of clothing at pretty much all times on the water. They are a comfortable, sleeveless, waterproof windbreaker as far as I am concerned and if I happen to go over the side, I am as ready for it as I will ever be.
At the end of the day, be as prepared as you can

Keep the life jacket handy if you are not wearing it.

Have a grab bag, with Flares (Out of their wrapper, very hard to unwrap in the water in the dark if you have to especially if hurt or cold, also know the symbols on the cap for different flares by touch, yes most have symbols to differentiate them in the dark).. DO NOT FIRE THE FLARES at a hellicopter if he is near you, unless he is equipped with Auto Hover, he may come for a swim with you... the pilots get severely pissed if you night blind them.
Take your EPIRB with you and activate it. Attach the lanyard to yourself in case you go unconcious and it drifts away from you.

Take as much drinking water as possible, if you have enough time, drink what you cant take, use collected or fresh water first, not the packaged stuff. Safe the stuff that is going to last untill you have used the rest. Ration yourself, assume it will take several days to be found, but think possitive...

Signalling mirror
Torch
Stay with and on top of the boat if possible. DO NOT try and swim to shore unless you are 110% certain you will make it. Drift with the current, try to keep your groin and armpits tight against your body to prevent the rapid loss of body heat, (float in an upright feotal possition if possible)... huddle with your mate, he will not get an erection under these curcumstances... Do NOT ditch your clothes, they will help slow heat loss.

There are 100 other things you should, or should not do, depending on your curcumstances and the equipment and size of your vessel.
These are the key things that I can think of, of the top of my head... certainly not all of it.
Safe boating
Cheers Lloyd

charleville
03-09-2008, 09:05 AM
Take as much drinking water as possible, if you have enough time, drink what you cant take, use collected or fresh water first, not the packaged stuff. Safe the stuff that is going to last untill you have used the rest. Ration yourself, assume it will take several days to be found, but think possitive...




Whilst searching on inflatable life jackets, I found this old thread and discovered the wisdom of what Lloyd is saying here.

I once read an article that described the experience by two blokes who spent about three days in the water after a fishing trip mishap and they mentioned the discomfort of sunburnt heads so I now carry a bright orange cap in my safety grab bag but after reading this, I might also add a couple of small bottles of water.

In reality, it should never be a problem in the areas that I fish but you never know.


.

garman1
03-09-2008, 11:17 AM
Hi all,

Previously had "normal" pfds..... and well when I looked at em "jammed" up the front under the bow, I wondered how quick could you get to em and put em on ?? So I have bought self inflating stormies for my boat, I am an epileptic and acknowledge that I am at more risk than others so hence the xtra thoughts on safety for those on board and those I share the water with, I make sure I wear mine and try to get everyone on board to wear them as well.

Mind you if any of us become incapacitated on the water for "what ever" reason then were all "in the same boat" excuse the pun.

I see more and more people using them on the water as well.... hopefully it may be like putting a seat belt on in a car, no one thinks twice about it, yet there used to be ads on tv reminding you to use em !!!! remember "click clack front and back"

I have the grab bag too ........ good idea..........................................

Cheers Garry

quigley595
03-09-2008, 12:42 PM
I have a yoke type auto inflatable and wear it all the time. Low profile, easy to wear.

It is actually a PFD Type II, so legally a no-no, however, from a practical point of view, it is as good as if not better than a PFD I. I would rather be safe than legal.
I also keep a couple of yellow bricks jammed up front, so legally, I am ok.

My only question now is whether I should have got the manual inflate rather than the auto. As ever, there are pros and cons either way.

What are others opinions on the auto/manual inflate option?
And on the auto inflate.... can the bobbin be removed to disable the auto inflate and just leave the pull tag?

Mike

garman1
03-09-2008, 01:18 PM
Mike, I thought about the same question and thought what would happen if you ended up in the water and were conscious, then you could pull the cord :).....

but

what if you were in the water and unconscious ??????? that's when you need your life jacket the most and your not able to pull the cord :(......

That's when I decided to order the auto inflate style. I know the arguments against the auto inflates, but the pro's out way the con's.

Cheers Garry

charleville
03-09-2008, 01:50 PM
I just went out today and bought a manually inflatable "Marlin" brand version from Whitworths on special for $75 after having seen the identical life jacket at another well known boat retailer/chandler for $118.


That is an amazing difference in price. :'(


I looked them over and over at both stores to see if there was something different in the products but there wasn't.



.

Apollo
04-09-2008, 07:21 AM
With regards to the auto v manual inflate discussion, is it fair to say that the highest risk is bar crossing and everyone should be either seated or in a safe standing position. With this being the case, could you set up a light weight safety strap to the pull cord on the life jacket to activate it if you get tossed overboard, but the strap will snap under to pull of your body weight to allow you to float clear? It would be permanently anchoured to the boat near your seated position and be long enough to avoid accidently activation by say normal movement or stumbling. If you were knocked unconcious and thrown clear, it would activate, but if the boat rolled over and you were still underneath, then it would only be activated when you swam clear (or it could be easily detached so you can activate it manually later on). Once pass the bar, you can detach the strap and fish the day with or without the jacket on.

Just a thought!

charleville
04-09-2008, 08:27 AM
With regards to the auto v manual inflate discussion, is it fair to say that the highest risk is bar crossing and everyone should be either seated or in a safe standing position.


At his presentation on bar crossings last week at the Brisbane Boat Show, Bill Corten warned against the auto-inflate versions because of the splashes likely to be received on bar crossings.

Your comments are good although I have to say that when I have used the dead mans lanyard thingy on my motor when I have gone solo fishing at night, I have given myself an awful fright when I have forgotten to take it off and in moving in the boat have activated the switch to turn the motor off and could not work out how to restart it for a whilst in bouncy conditions until I realised what I had done.

So I imagine that it might be similarly easy to forget to undo the safety jacket's rip cord after getting through a lumpy bar crossing and accidentally inflate the thing in moving around the boat.

Bill_Corten
04-09-2008, 09:50 AM
Yes Bruce, whether to wear an auto inflate jacket or a manual inflate is a vexed question.
There are known instances where auto inflates have activated in unexpected circumstances. It is rare, but has happened where the wearer has copped lots of spray when travelling through choppy seas and the jacket inflated.
Conversely there is the valid argument that an auto inflate will float you if unconscious and thrown into the water, so there is no clear cut answer on which is the better way to go.
For the record, we all wear manual inflate jackets when doing bar crossing tuition as they are comfortable and do not interfere with the drivers ability to control the boat when at the helm. Especially good for the big guys who would otherwise be fighting the wheel if wearing a conventional "yellow brick".
Of the several people I have come into contact with who have rolled boats on the bar, some have been wearing lifejackets and become trapped in the upturned boat preventing them from escaping until they removed the lifejacket to swim out. Not a nice feeling. This would not have been the case with a manual inflate as they could have activated the gas cylinder to inflate when out and away from the boat. In hindsight all of these people agreed the manual inflate would have been their preference to counter that circumstance and generally have since bought manual inflates.
It is worth remembering that all of the inflatables have a service date. Many of these are 12 months but there is a type someone told me of that gives three years for recreational use and 12 months for commercial and this aspect is worth checking for anyone on the market for one. I get mine serviced at Marine Safe at Rowland Street each year, cost was $30 each earlier this year and a good investment in safety.
It is worth remembering that the inflatable jacket must be within its service date to be deemed a piece of safety equipment if it is the only type of lifejacket on board or you could cop a fine.
Hope this helps someone looking for some good practical advice.

Cheers
Bill

webby
04-09-2008, 12:20 PM
Wont add any more to what Llyod has said, but you cannot beat a Stormy Seas, i purchased one a few years ago, the one with the removable sleeves, so it turns into a vest.
Never had to use it, but they certainly make you feel safer, especially when travelling by one self, which i do a fair bit of.
Serviced regularly, you cannot beat one, although a little expensive, you have to value how much your life is as to how much your willing to pay.
regards

charleville
04-09-2008, 07:11 PM
Yes Bruce, whether to wear an auto inflate jacket or a manual inflate is a vexed question.



See! I was listening to your presentation, Bill. ;D ;D ;D



.

culbara
04-09-2008, 08:46 PM
I not sure if you know but all inflatable sife jsckets have to be check and the checkup recorded n the jacket and i think it is once every 12 months but dont quote me and it was in fishing monthy where a bloke bought a inflatable cheap and got pulled up and was only 2 weeks short of expiry and when he asked the fisheries if they would have booked him he was told that they would

Moonlighter
04-09-2008, 10:37 PM
Hi guys

Bill's point about making sure that your inflatable jackets are "in test" is very important. Somewhere on your jacket or in the brochure it came with should be a statement from the manufacturer about service intervals. Mine is 2 years, but they do vary.

You can get them re-checked by a service company like Bill does for his commercial operation, or you can in fact do the check and service yourself. If you do that you need to create a "log" and keep receipts for the recharge/service kits so you can prove that the service has been done correctly. Its a pretty straightforward job to do and kits are available for about $20. PM me if you'd like a proforma "service log sheet" that some of us put together.

Good to catch up with you at the show, Bill. Keep up the good work with DPIF on the rocky reef fish review, you guys are doing a great job that is really appreciated!!

Grant

cormorant
04-09-2008, 10:43 PM
I swear by them. We use the Stormy Seas, 3 seperate inflation cells so if you puncture 1 it shouldnt be a drama, thats the theory anyhow. (They are also very hardwearing and durable).
The good thing about an inflatable is if the boat overturns while crossing a bar, hopefully you can swim clear before activating the inflation pin. If you were wearing a Standard PFD it is unlikely you will get out if trapped underneath a vessel and wearing it without taking it off or leaving it behind anyhow. (Jump in your pool, try putting on a life jacket in the water, bloody hard, have someone keep an eye on you in case you get into strife... try swimming with it on... it is an absolute bas#*ard)
Like Blaze says, if you get knocked out then you have problems. If's and buts included, if you get knocked out and you are wearing a PFD and are trapped underneath the boat you are still possibly going to drown. If your numbers up, it's up.
Many people do not get the chance to grab a life jacket stored under all their bits and pieces in the bow or where ever they keep them on the boat in an emergency.
I wear the Stormy Seas vest as a normal piece of clothing at pretty much all times on the water. They are a comfortable, sleeveless, waterproof windbreaker as far as I am concerned and if I happen to go over the side, I am as ready for it as I will ever be.
At the end of the day, be as prepared as you can

Keep the life jacket handy if you are not wearing it.

Have a grab bag, with Flares (Out of their wrapper, very hard to unwrap in the water in the dark if you have to especially if hurt or cold, also know the symbols on the cap for different flares by touch, yes most have symbols to differentiate them in the dark).. DO NOT FIRE THE FLARES at a hellicopter if he is near you, unless he is equipped with Auto Hover, he may come for a swim with you... the pilots get severely pissed if you night blind them.
Take your EPIRB with you and activate it. Attach the lanyard to yourself in case you go unconcious and it drifts away from you.

Take as much drinking water as possible, if you have enough time, drink what you cant take, use collected or fresh water first, not the packaged stuff. Safe the stuff that is going to last untill you have used the rest. Ration yourself, assume it will take several days to be found, but think possitive...

Signalling mirror
Torch
Stay with and on top of the boat if possible. DO NOT try and swim to shore unless you are 110% certain you will make it. Drift with the current, try to keep your groin and armpits tight against your body to prevent the rapid loss of body heat, (float in an upright feotal possition if possible)... huddle with your mate, he will not get an erection under these curcumstances... Do NOT ditch your clothes, they will help slow heat loss.

There are 100 other things you should, or should not do, depending on your curcumstances and the equipment and size of your vessel.
These are the key things that I can think of, of the top of my head... certainly not all of it.
Safe boating
Cheers Lloyd


Hi subzero

Which stormy has 3 cells? I have an older version but it is all one bladder. Does it use 1 or 2 cylinders? I have seen some industrial / millitary ones that have 2 cells and 2 charges

Thanks

fishing111
05-09-2008, 12:49 AM
This is off the Stormy website. The service period for recreational users is recomended annually.I'm not sure what would happen if you got pulled over and were asked to present your servicing regime as it only states reccomended?



Am I required to have my Stormy serviced?


Commercial users under survey are required to have their Stormy serviced annually. For other users it is recommended. - Servicing prolongs the life of the garment.
- The chamber is pressure tested, the valves and O rings checked and the garment is cleaned.
- Allow approximately 3 days for a service.
- A certificate of compliance is issued after each service.

http://www.stormyaustralia.com/pics_misc/shim.gif

reidy
05-09-2008, 10:48 AM
Due to the fact that jackets are comp. here in Tassie whilst underway the number of Stormys here have increased 10 fold over the last 5 or so years.I do wonder how many out there need a service?i would think its most likley the majority.As blaze said at the begining of this post an inflatable is next to useless if it
1. is not an auto
2. is not serviced
A standard pfd is possibly the safest bet but comfort has its bonuses hay
Cheers
Reidy