Inshore Automatic/Manual Inflatable Life Jackets Sale

These vests might be more geared towards inshore boating.

Can't say i have seen anyone with this type in a kayak?

I am considering this type for lakes.

https://www.westmarine.com/west-marine-inshore-automatic-manual-inflatable-life-jackets-P020164174.html

I read the reviews on this life Jacket and I have second thought about it.

I read the reviews on this life Jacket and I have second thought about it.

Wow !  Even for lakes ?

Found bad reviews on some falsely inflating and they are sold without cartridges.

Used to run them on my Lund 18ft. The chances you're gonna go over in a boat, makes them comfortable to get people to wear em. I'd say the chances of going over are way higher in a yak which makes me not like them now, plus if they come in contact with any water from a wave, POOF, inflated. Had them stored in a hatch during the winter and one went off. Found out the boat cover had a leak! Stick to a solid yak PFD. But that's just my 2 cents. Also the yak PFDs have way better floatation and always keep you afloat. At least you can guarantee they'll find your body if a boater mows ya over.

Quite a few of the Youtube bass fishing kayakers wear this style, but they are mostly in big barge style kayaks that seem to stay pretty dry.  They aren't getting underway in the ocean or in weather conditions that would get them wet. 

I think the appeal is that they are less bulky and provide more range of motion to make casting easier. 

Makes you look slimmer too 

When I was at Stampede a few months ago I witnessed a guy lunching while wearing one of those type PDF's. As he boarded his kayak, he slipped and fell in 2' of water. The vest inflated immediately, working as it should. However, he had no idea how to deflate it. Nor did he have a replacement cartridge. The guy just shoved it in his hatch and then continued to launch and fish. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid. I'm thinking that this type is not very practical for Kayakers. I've had fish splash me with enough water to trigger those things when landing or releasing them. It's better than nothing but I'd avoid that style and get a NRS Chinook.

When I was at Stampede a few months ago I witnessed a guy lunching while wearing one of those type PDF's. As he boarded his kayak, he slipped and fell in 2' of water. The vest inflated immediately, working as it should. However, he had no idea how to deflate it. Nor did he have a replacement cartridge. The guy just shoved it in his hatch and then continued to launch and fish. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid. I'm thinking that this type is not very practical for Kayakers. I've had fish splash me with enough water to trigger those things when landing or releasing them. It's better than nothing but I'd avoid that style and get a NRS Chinook.

Back in my Coast Guard days, yanking someone's inflator was an extremely common form of hazing camaraderie.  It sucked because you'd have to spend the rest of the sortie with your vest fully inflated as we didn't carry new cartridges on the boats.  I think the cost of the cartridges were part of why we stopped using them and went back to Type IIIs.

If you are looking for an inflatable I really like this one. It’s a hybrid inflatable. I love it.

https://www.westmarine.com/mustang-survival-khimera-hybrid-inflatable-pfd-18753855.html?&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=PMax:%20GSC%3eSmart_Shopping%3eSafety2023&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzLXizeXsggMVeZrCCB3wPAXgEAQYASABEgLPtPD_BwE

Thanks for the input, guys. My intention is to only use it in small lakes. No ocean. I still have my trusty NRS preserver for the ocean.

And not this . Well, maybe subconsciously. 

Makes you look slimmer too 

My plans are to use this over a fishing vest to have my tackle more accessible for fresh water. I also will be using it in manual mode.

Fixed it 

We’re looking at inflation vests for mavs $1500 each but worth every nickel when it counts

Means $3k between us since I’ll be out there too

My last few kayak ocean swims gave me mixed opinions about standard pfd’s re I had to take mine off to get back on my stealth which is about as clean a setup as it gets

A bit much for small lakes but sounds like top-notch for the ocean.

Wasnt a serious recommendation. I wonder how reliable those inflating pfds are. The ones designed for mavs had a lot of testing and input from guys like Peter Mel

Even with all that some of them you have to sign a liability waiver in case they fail and/or take a big wave safety course

Would probably get ripped a new internet asshole here for asking if you even need one on those little lakes so I won’t

I just learned about those big wave vests recently and they look neat as hell.  One feature that I thought was pretty trick was that they had multiple cartridges/charges so your day wasn't over or seriously delayed after one pull.

Would probably get ripped a new internet asshole here for asking if you even need one on those little lakes so I won’t

 

No worries . might  be helpful to someone.

I feel that the ones i listed are more than enough for my lake excursions. They probably will be in manual mode most of the time.