don't try to swim in your paddle jacket without a PFD.

don't try to swim in your wetsuit and paddle jacket without a PFD.

the paddle jacket arms fill up with water and you can't swim very well.

either take off the PFD AND the paddle jacket, or leave both on.

I know, standard procedure is to keep your PFD on at all times, but if you have to swim at speed, for whatever reason, like across a rip current or something, or out to somebody drowning, don't do it with a paddle jacket on or you could drown yourself.

John

In a situation like that wouldn't it help to loosen the wrist straps so that the water in the arms would be allowed to flow out? Still not the best solution but I would imagine it would help.

Feels weird not being on a surfboard when your in the surf like that eh? 

did you discover this during your human sea anchor trials?

don't try to swim in your wetsuit and paddle jacket without a PFD.

the paddle jacket arms fill up with water and you can't swim very well.

either take off the PFD AND the paddle jacket, or leave both on.

I know, standard procedure is to keep your PFD on at all times, but if you have to swim at speed, for whatever reason, like across a rip current or something, or out to somebody drowning, don't do it with a paddle jacket on or you could drown yourself.

John

 

Definitly something you do not want to learn on the fly.

In a situation like that wouldn't it help to loosen the wrist straps so that the water in the arms would be allowed to flow out? Still not the best solution but I would imagine it would help.

that would help a little I think.

I'm pretty sure I'd drown if I tried to take off my paddle jacket in the water.  I get stuck with over my head when I'm on dry land...  Worst feeling, if you're a little claustrophobic. 

I jumped in the pool with my paddle jacket. One is more of a paddle rain jack the other is a more traditional with the waste band. I tried to pull the standard paddle jack off keeping my head above water and couldn't do it while treading water. I got stuck in it and I could see it turning back for someone. Next I went under water and pulled the jacket off. I was able to get the jacket off rather easily.

However there is a better solution to swimming with a paddle jacket.....eggbeater.  I filled the jacket with water and it didn't bother me. I was able to hold 145 lbs of weight on my shoulders for about 10 minutes before I fatigued out. If anyone wants me to teach them eggbeater, just find a pool for us to jump in to.

-Brian G

I was actually eggbeating, otherwise I would have surely drowned, but the issue is that I was floating along in a rip current and needed to actually swim, not just stay afloat, to get out of the rip current and return to shore.

also, I had actually worn a PFD that day (which generally I do not wear if I have a full surfing wetsuit on like I had that day) because it was extra gnarly conditions (for kayaking at least). However, I took the PFD off to deliver something to somebody which involved swimming, which is hard to do with a PFD (ever notice the lifeguards don't wear one?). But I failed to take off the paddle jacket along with the PFD. 

And failing to take that paddle jacket off almost killed me.

anyways, I was floating along having thoughts like kevin says, eggbeating like brian says, wondering what I should do, and floated right by a rock. So I jumped up on it and took off that cursed paddle jacket and stuffed it down my wetsuit. I thought about the irony of taking off my PFD so I could swim out here in the first place, then dived off the convenient rock, swam across the rip current into water with no current (but breaking waves), and finally swam in somewhat normally. whew. 

anyways, if you are somebody that is a trained swimmer or lifeguard beware the paddle jacket if you take off the PFD. either keep both on, or take both off.

they are not "swim" jackets.

J

I tried to pull the standard paddle jack off keeping my head above water and couldn't do it while treading water

I tied to swim in mine and it was tough so I unzipped it and it was much easier comes off easy also.
http://www.rei.com/outlet/product/774753

I tried to pull the standard paddle jack off keeping my head above water and couldn't do it while treading water

I tied to swim in mine and it was tough so I unzipped it and it was much easier comes off easy also.
http://www.rei.com/outlet/product/774753

mine is pull-over style. maybe I should try the zipper style, but plastic zippers break and metal zippers rust.

maybe a better thing overall would be an a mysterioso (smooth and windproof) shirt over my regular cut-up old surfer wetsuit instead of the paddle jacket.

hmm....