PFD?

Seems like everyone likes the Lotus Mildwater-Anyone seen any good prices lately? What other PFD's does everyone like?
Jack

Kokatat. I have had mine for about 4 years. When I was fishing at Berkeley Pier I stopped by the REI there and sampled a few PFD's and then went home to order it. really nice

action,
I went with the MUSTANG manual inflate vest, it's small and out of the way when it's not deployed.
If I need the vest I choose when.  With the auto inflate it pops soon after your wet!
Looked at some of the "full" vests and they all looked and felt bulky when I tried them on.
Whatever you choose WEAR IT!!! 

I have a $20 Wal-Mart special. I like it much better than my $80 one.

Sorry I don't know the brand names off hand.

The Lotus (mesh back) is my choice! Expensive but worth it (very comfortable - especially on hot days)! IMO: don't go cheap on safety equiptment, your life will depend on it, if and when 

The pockets can carry 2 hand held flares, a compass, a small roll of duct tape and a signal mirror.

The $20 Wal-Mart PFD is a "Stearn's" brand - which I've heard is a well-known brand.

My other PFD already saved my life once, so I know it works. Next time I'm in Spring Lake or somewhere similar I'll have to purposely dump my yak to see how well the Stearn's PFD works. I'll couple that with my waders, just to see if they take on any water.

here's a pic of my PFD - (still have to replace my compass - a friend borrowed mine and left it somewhere in the Sierras )

whistle,dive knife,two hand held aerial flares, VHF, small roll of duct tape, hi - visibility emergency blanket.....

I went with the MUSTANG manual inflate vest, it's small and out of the way when it's not deployed.
If I need the vest I choose when.  With the auto inflate it pops soon after your wet!
Looked at some of the "full" vests and they all looked and felt bulky when I tried them on.
Whatever you choose WEAR IT!!!

Boxofrain  is there any way of inflating this vest once in a while to check and make sure your not out there with a life vest that will never inflate and of course deflate it again to use later.

Gowen,
Yes, the Mustang has a manual fill valve as well. If for some reason the Co2 cartridge does not work you can blow it up by muoth. The vest when not inflated is about 3" wide on each side and around the neck with a harness and buckle at lower chest level. It comes with a whistle attached on the inside for easy use when vest is deployed.
 After viewing mooches PFD with all the goodys tucked in I suppose that could be a down side if you like a lot of pockets on your vest. My paddle pants have large cargo pockets I use a lot.
 Went out on the ocean for the first time on teu.!!! Great time, I got a little seasick because I had no time to take anything before we left, the launch is about four blocks away and my buddy lives between here and there. Very calm at low tide when we launched but after a few hours the surf had come up a bit. No problem for my friend, he's a surfer, I didn't do as well, maybe I should name the boat "Roll em easy". The best fun I ever had in a nose plant roll over!
 Now I am truly hooked, somebody help me!!!!   

Mooch-

Where do you keep the kitchen sink on that thing???

Freddie

the kitchen sink is at home....I'm all about safety first You live life once...and to me, that's not long enough, so I'll do what I can to stay safe 

I think Mooch as pictures of everything he as ever seen. 

I think Mooch as pictures of everything he as ever seen. 

I was once a photographer for Portrait Studio at Sears 

Here is one of my masterpiece:
It's titled "The T-Shirt says it all"

 

Okay, I'm game...

Why the duct tape?  To patch hull?  Just for general usefulness?

I have an MZ Skorpion (motorbike) and I keep duct tape and bailing wire on it at all times... and frequently use one or the other.  But I figure duct tape doesn't do too well when wet so I don't know why you'd want it on a yak.

My PFD has flares, whistle, compass, radio as of 4:00PM today.  Just got a new Uniden micro-radio like Mooch has.  Next step:  get some freaky feet.

(also in my hull are pool noodles, spare radio, and bilge pump)