Rethinking Inflatable PFDs

01 Jul 19:

Ralph Naranjo wrote an article for Practical Sailor that takes a look at inflatable PFDs now that they are maturing in the boating world, and his observations mirror some of the things that we have been thinking. First and foremost, folks should know their PFD well, how to use it in different scenarios and how to maintain it. Some PFDs don't inflate until well submersed or for up to 10 seconds, so it may not be the best choice to help prevent drowning. The Coast Guard views the auto inflating PFD as a "manually operated" PFD with an automatic backup. Don't count on auto inflators to actuate, and be prepared if they activate in an inopportune time. Some manual pull tabs are hard to get to, under velcrod covers. Is the swimmer prepared to find that tab in the dark, inverted and in a rough sea state? Are they wearing gloves too?

The CO2 cylinders and squibs need to be inspected and replaced per manufacturer instructions. One customer finally had his 10 year old PFD inspected and found there was not even a CO2 cartridge in it. Some PFDs can be maintained by the owner, other have to be sent to the manufacturer. This includes inflating the device and seeing that it maintains inflation for a specified period of time, up to 24 hours.

A few folks have switched back to foam jackets, they have 100 percent buoyancy reliability. Say you fall a few feet off the Jacobs Ladder into the icy bay, between two boats, into large swells. Which jacket do you want to roll the dice on? They also provide a small bit of warmth for those boating in cold environments.

Any type PFD is better than none, the best one is one that the future swimmer will wear. One last benefit of a regular foam filled PFD is there might be more pockets to store signaling devices, which you can use while floating around waiting for rescue.

Here we are testing out foam from the flotation tanks in our Grumman canoe. We wondered if the foam lost its floatyness after a while and found out that the foam was just fine, and we reinstalled it!



Stay Smart!
Clark and Skipper

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