life jacket pfd

[banjo]

Just wondering what people's preferences and experiences are and what they use.
I have many life jackets, but I only had one that fit like a glove that I could wear all day and fish with. I unfortunately lost it in a fire, so I will be looking for a new comfy one.
I see the inflatables, anyone actually used one, as in had it deploy perfectly etc.? How easy to reuse?

[Christian Gervais]

I have have an automatic inflatable (do not understand why they sell manual ones) and when the CO2 container expired, I threw my inflatable in the pool to check and worked perfectly. I have fished in very heavy rain with it and never deployed (which is a good thing...lol). So it need to be submerged in order to deploy. I am using a Mustang model and like it a lot.

[BC FD]

Please keep in mind that a PFD in your boat does not qualify as a life jacket on board unless you are wearing it. It does not count if it is under a seat or lying on the deck of your boat.
Mitch

[banjo]

Just to clarify, I am talking about use in a pleasure craft scenario. So I am pretty sure that a PFD and a lifejacket are interchangeable in the regulations as long as it's in good condition, fits, and is within reach. As always... Either only works if it's worn. So mainly I am talking about a PFD, because I highly doubt anyone fishes all day wearing a keyhole style lifejacket.
My worry about the inflatables is, say for instance I flip the canoe on day one of a week long canoe trip, what is involved in resetting it, how big is the co2 can, and do the spares store in the PFD, or I may lose them to the bottom of the lake...As you can see, I am leaning towards a non inflating type but keeping my options open.

[snapper]

I have an inflatable jacket, I didn`t want the self inflating because I fish from a Kayak... too much chance of a slip getting in or out of the yak and getting an inflate when I don`t want it. I have slipped in 10 inches of water, ha ha clumsy, But then I am 75 years old.

[Wallyboss]

Just to clarify, I am talking about use in a pleasure craft scenario. So I am pretty sure that a PFD and a lifejacket are interchangeable in the regulations as long as it's in good condition, fits, and is within reach. As always... Either only works if it's worn. So mainly I am talking about a PFD, because I highly doubt anyone fishes all day wearing a keyhole style lifejacket.
My worry about the inflatables is, say for instance I flip the canoe on day one of a week long canoe trip, what is involved in resetting it, how big is the co2 can, and do the spares store in the PFD, or I may lose them to the bottom of the lake...As you can see, I am leaning towards a non inflating type but keeping my options open.

Banjo a self-inflating PFD if you are not wearing it and it is the only PFD in your boat and you are checked by Police they will charge you. A regular PFD as long as you have it in the boat then you are legal.

[ShawnD]

Just to clarify, I am talking about use in a pleasure craft scenario. So I am pretty sure that a PFD and a lifejacket are interchangeable in the regulations as long as it's in good condition, fits, and is within reach. As always... Either only works if it's worn. So mainly I am talking about a PFD, because I highly doubt anyone fishes all day wearing a keyhole style lifejacket.
My worry about the inflatables is, say for instance I flip the canoe on day one of a week long canoe trip, what is involved in resetting it, how big is the co2 can, and do the spares store in the PFD, or I may lose them to the bottom of the lake...As you can see, I am leaning towards a non inflating type but keeping my options open.

Banjo a self-inflating PFD if you are not wearing it and it is the only PFD in your boat and you are checked by Police they will charge you. A regular PFD as long as you have it in the boat then you are legal.

What I do is keep 2 regular life jackets in the boat and my auto inflate one which I wear through out the day. Other ones are spares in case I have people who are tagging along, I would run into trouble if I had a 3rd person on the boat, might look into getting another one soon.

[BC FD]

Sorry guys but my info came from a Transport Canada trainer. Met him one day above Long Island locks. He was certifying a couple of guys to pilot one of the dredge barges there. He came over to check our boat. Fire department rescue boat. We got talking about life jackets and PFDs. Our PFDs are special jackets used for ice, swiftwater and boat rescue. They were designed by a company called Rescue Canada and cost close to $500. With any PFD, it is not classed as a life jacket unless it is being warn.
Mitch

[lape0019]

I do not know why it is that why Banjo but everyone is correct. If you are not wearing the inflatable PFD, it does not count. All they are saying is make sure you have secondary jacket styled one in the boat if you do not plan on wearing the one that blows up all of the time.

Nobody is blowing smoke here. I have had many people be told that and I believe I have even seen some stores advertise this as well.

[zeke13]

My understanding is in line with what most are saying as well ... if it has to be inflated, either manually or automatically, it only counts if you are wearing it. If you are not wearing it, you must have a non-inflatable life jacket somewhere on the boat, preferably within reach, for each person in the boat.

I have the auto-inflatable Mustang and try to wear it all the time, except for that one time I fell in , but I also have a regular lifejacket on-board as well.

Be safe everyone.

[banjo]

Just from the possibility of something being legal vs. illegal, I will be staying away from the inflatable type.
For the end of last season I kept a lifejacket in the boat (for legalities) and I wore a PFD purchased in the States that is real comfy to wear. But it is not legal in Canada. I can only image the discussion this might create to a police guy 'looking' for any infraction. Hence why I am looking for a new all around legal PFD.
Just being a devil's advocate... I would like to see a link or document that shows the requirement to wear the inflatable PFD. It IS in the regulations when concerning a NON-pleasure craft which explains exactly what BC FD has described ( a Transport Canada vessel or Rescue vessel). That I understand and believe.
As far as what the police say... I have been stopped by OPP and asked to produce a fishing license on the Family free fishing, and they had never heard of that and had told me they had already handed out ticket to other people... I produced mine and was fine. Needless to say nobody ever WINS a argument with the police, so I believe what is being said by people here, that police are enforcing something, but it would be good if this regulation was legible somewhere. If somebody can find it... please link it.

[zeke13]

Here is something that I picked up from the Transport Canada website (http://www.tc.gc.ca/media/documents/mar ... P-511e.pdf) under Personal Floatation devices:

On Page 22:

REMEMBER: You have to be wearing an inflatable PFD for it to be approved on an open boat. If the boat is not open then you only need to wear it while you are on deck or in the cockpit.

[TheMaverick]

You will not lose parts if the PFD auto-inflates.
The only part needed, if it does auto-inflate, is the CO2 cartridge that is available at Wally Marts, Ti-Can Tire, Sail…

Take into consideration that if you get knocked out and thrown overboard, for whatever reasons, who’s going to pull that cord on the inflatable version? Unless it’s tied to the boat at all times, I don’t understand the safety reasoning behind those PFD’s.

Guys/Gals prefer the regular PFD’s for the bumpy rides, they provide more support and are comfier if fitted properly.

Also note, some auto-inflatable PFD’s have the dissolving pill that triggers the CO2 cartridge, while others have the hydrostatic pressure sensor that triggers once again the CO2 but need to be submerged 3 foot.

We have the ones with the dissolving pill, don’t leave them in boat compartments, it gets very humid and the pill dissolves.

Auto-inflatable and inflatable PFD’s can’t be worn by children.

[banjo]

WallyBoss... You are correct. I confirmed with Transport Canada and the 'wearing' stipulation is for inflatable PFDs only, as per the page 22 of that guide. I learnt something new today.
I still think I will look at the new mustang vests, that's what my old one was and it held up for years getting wet, sunbaked, sat on and still worked great with no tears or broken stitches. Lets hope they still make them like they used to.

[Tomcat]

My worry about the inflatables is, say for instance I flip the canoe on day one of a week long canoe trip, what is involved in resetting it, how big is the co2 can, and do the spares store in the PFD, or I may lose them to the bottom of the lake...As you can see, I am leaning towards a non inflating type but keeping my options open.

I first purchased my Mustang Inflatable PFD (MD3153) in 2006. It's so comfortable to wear that sometimes you don't even realize you still have it on. In my opinion, that's the huge plus of inflatables PFDs. Before 2006, while I always had a PFD somewhere in the boat, I never wore it. The MD3153 requires that I purchase a re-arm kit (new body + new CO2 canister) every 5 years. The CO2 canisters are about the size of a hot dog. The re-arm kit retails for approximately $70. I don't ever carry spare re-arm kits because they age/deteriorate at the same rate as the one installed in my MD3153. In case of a second requirement for flotation on a fishing trip after I have activated my inflatable PFD the first time, I can manually inflate my inflatable PFD by blowing into the bladder. After I brought my MD3153 inflatable PFD home in 2006, I manually inflated it to test whether the bladder would hold air overnight. Manual inflation only required 3.5 breaths. Alternatively, one could carry a regular PFD for such situations.

Everyone selects the best PFD option to satisfy their own requirements. My PFD requirements for fishing 8-10 hours a day for a week or more include reliable flotation and great comfort (no fishing movement restrictions, light weight and not hot to wear). My Mustang MD3153 inflatable PFD satisfies these requirements.