I wear a mustang survival automatic inflatable PFD. I have never seen an inflatable on another paddler. I like it because I always wear it and never know I have it on. I am curious as to why it's not more popular and accepted on still waters? Am I missing something? 

I intentionally bought a conventional PFD that had large front pockets for survival and fishing gear.  It also provides a handy padded seat for lunch stops (and at other times).

Also I tend to do some of my travel in the shoulder seasons (May/September) when the extra insulation (warmth) is desirable.

dd

I wonder if there is ever a scenario when one would not be able to pull the cord or press the button with Sally?

like the other have said, I find a standard PFD to be a multi-use item

often wear it for the extra insulation, keep my map handy in the pocket, use if for my pillow

also, they are reasonably cheap - the one I use in Quetico is a cheapo from Cabelas, and its the lightest PFD I have, so its the one that goes.

since I don't have any problem wearing it, I don't see that an inflateable really offers any advantages for me - so I've never given an inflateable a thought.

and, a regular PFD is fool-proof as long as its on - there is always chance an inflateable will malfunction - maybe even leak air ? and maybe you will catch the ripcord on a pack and have it inflate by accident ?


edit:  I took a look at the Mustang PFDs - couldn't find any weights given, but they don't look to be all that much lighter than my regualr PFD.  Not all the Mustang models had USCG Type III - ratings   - in Colorado, by law, you have to have a USCG Type III for each person in the canoe - so that could be a consideration for anyone buying one (Type II or seat cushion type is not an acceptable alternative- and yes, I've been checked several times)

I looked at the Stearns models a bit also- some said Type V approved for use as Tpe III (and some not) - depending on what the label actually says, these might not "fle" with some of the boating rangers.

its been some time since I've actually read the rules here, but it would be something to check on if I was thinking of getting an inflateable

Mad Mat's question as to the legality of an inflatable in the park is quite relevant and had never crossed my mind. I assumed that since U S coast guard wears them and offshore sailors use them it would not be an issue. I have sent an inquiry to the park and will post the results when I get an answer. Mat, if you have saved me eventual grief how do you like your steak? ( or pasta prima vera if your one of those veggie types)

Well put Snow Dog.

My problem is I can easily envision myself NOT wearing a regular PFD if it was hot or I'm out fishing. Maybe I haven't tried the right one, they seem bulky to me. With my luck I would be out in the middle of Kawanipi on a perfectly calm day with my regular PFD sitting beside me and I would hook one of those humper-thing-a-ma-bobs that Jimbo or old Salt was talkin about and that would be the end of me.

As it is now I feel naked without the Mustang on. I admit I was skeptical of the sterns model with the pull tab and all that so I upgraded. Believe you me, I'm concerned about safety and am always asking the question "what's the worse that can happen". I even portage the easy swifts up on the Maligne near Sturgeon just to be on the safe side.
My munchkin needs her Papa.  

I hardly recommend this vest. Cool mesh and the large pockets allow you to carry a small fire starter kit. On sale now.
The back padding is nice even if you use a canoe seat. It's called the comfort mesh vest, #9IS-943049

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Okay, I'll admit it: I don't wear a life vest. 

I sit on it.  All you other sinners, chime in, cuz I'm going to get beat up on this!

prouboy

Gentlemen, please, not wearing a PFD of some sort is just plain unacceptable.

I wear mine! A given within the family. Check out the kayak PFD's , very comfy...When I made a step up to a Solquist, Wow, one of the best pieces of gear I ever PU'ed.

I thought their purpose was (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)! (Green Sterns under the conveniently placed, spare paddle.) Yeah, I'm not that bad anymore. I at least keep it handy and not bungied down.  

I have always worn my seat belt. In MY car, seat belts are mandatory for everyone. It keeps me in place on the corners and I feel naked and vulnerable w/o it.

In a canoe however, it's a personal preference. The PFD goes on only when waves warrant it. If I'm wearing it I probably also have a painter tied to myself so the canoe can't blow away from me.

I might float these days but when I bought mine I sank like a rock and I got a bright yellow one to make it easy to spot my body - saving retrieval costs. It's comfy but does interfere with other things I may have in my shirt pockets plus, to me, it's a "feel good" false sense of security. It does have my ditch kit in it though so....

You like wearing yours - good for you! If not, that's fine too. Like I'd notice or care. There was one day when I overheard the very young son of a father and son team say: "He's not wearing his...." I put down the paddle and put it on. I then waved hello as in thanks for the reminder. I get the example thing but I took it off again when the kid was out of sight.

If I had to choose one or the other, I feel a lot "safer" with the painter tied to me than the with PFD - on, buckled, zipped and cinched tight. Within easy reach works for both most of the time.

"Expect the unexpected"

I hardly ever used to wear mine. I thought it was too uncomfortable and I'm a pretty good swimmer and quite capable in a canoe. But then when I started taking occasional groups of kids, scouts and church, I figured I should also be wearing one since I was making the kids wear one. I just didn't want to be a hypocrate. I eventually but a slightly better mesh top vest and got used to it. Now it feels strange without it and I have a hard time not wearing it.

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I don't always wear a PFD in my fishing boat, even though I should. I have one within reach, however, and I use another square foam float to sit on. Not that either would do me any good if I were by myself, and I happened to fall into the river or the notoriously choppy lake that I usually fish on.

When I'm in my canoe, however, I always have a PFD on and strapped up properly. I had my first canoe mishap when I was very young, and have had several since, though none were serious and none were recent. However, I've come to respect how little it takes to tip a canoe, especially a tandem, where you don't have control of the other person's body and reactions (another good reason for a solo). A few of those mishaps could have been worse than they turned out, had nobody been wearing PFD's.

Another point of concern is the flotation factor of my little Royalex canoe. When it fills with water, and I don't get out of it, it sinks like a rock. Filled  with gear on a cold northern lake, alone and miles from any sort of help, that could be a disaster. I grew up paddling my old man's freight-tanker Old Town, which would still float even when full of water and several giggling kids, so having my Royalex boat sink underneth me was a sobering experience. Especially since I conducted the test after my solo trip last spring, during which I rode her, overloaded, through some choppy spring-time water that in retrospect, I probably should have waited out and avoided.

I'm upgrading my tiny little Royalex Sandpiper this spring, so hopefully the slightly larger boat will have better flotation should the unthinkable happen. I haven't driven a kevlar, so I can't speak for those, but I encourage everyone to bring their canoe to the beach one day this summer, and get used to how it reacts to being rocked, tipped, and swamped. You might be surprised at the results.

It was mentioned earlier in this thread that being alone doesn't leave a person with a very big margin for error, and I couldn't agree more. Being solo anywhere changes all the rules. Even if one wears a PFD religiously, is always careful and vigilant on the trail, and carries out all tasks in camp with that certain level of perfection gained through experience, suffice to say, sh** still happens. Anything one can do to lower the level of risk, or to better prepare for the unexpected, is time and effort well spent.

Two friends of mine, who accidentally tipped their canoe while evening fishing in the BW in late fall, a few miles away and on a different lake from their camp, will tell you that wearing a PFD and having a ditch-kit on your person are two of the best things you can do "just in case." They didn't have either, and they owe their lives to their third travel partner, who happened to be an EMT. The EMT "had a feeling" that they had gone in the water as the darkness fell and they hadn't returned to camp, and through training, intuition, and luck, he was able to find them - shivering violently and trying to paddle back to camp with their hands - and do all the right things to get them warm and dry.

These guys were all experienced in wilderness. One of them taught at several ELC's, is currently a commercial pilot, and has summited several peaks in North America and greater Asia. The other is an avid climber, hunter, and paddler.

The moral of the story? Confidence is no excuse for complacency.

DB..... "expect the unexpected".

Suggesting the use of PFD's to canoeists / boaters / fishermen is like suggesting helmets to motorcycle riders... the ensuing debate is almost always spirited. But like bike helmets, seatbelts, and all other 'background' safety devices, chances are you'll never need to find out how good (or bad) they can be. Not wearing one is a calculated risk and a personal choice, and going either way doesn't guarantee any particular outcome.

For me, the redeeming quality is the fact that they do a pretty good job of keeping you afloat and upright all by themselves, while your mind is temporarily focused elsewhere in those critical first few seconds. That's it. After that, any number of things could still make you a statistic, but it's still one more pawn in front of Nature's queen(s), just in case she tries to cheat a little.

I just hope she doesn't try to cheat when I'm in my fishing boat, being the hypocritical PFD advocate that I am...

It's been interesting to read about people's experiences with the other types of PFD's on the market, as my only experience has been with the sub-$20 jackets that haven't changed much since the beginning of time. Perhaps this year I will upgrade my PFD along with my canoe... I think the self-inflating models are out of my price range but some of the others look more comfortable than what I've got now.

db, you've got the right idea with the painter line. A PFD and a ditch kit are good, but a way home is even better. Do you just tie it to your ankle or something?

 I have a D-ring on my PFD. Next to my canoe seat, I have a short line, maybe 5-6", tied to seat and the tag end has a quick clip carabiner attached to it.

My idea is that if I go over and I'm out a good distance and the wind is pushing me/canoe from shore, I'll clip to D-ring and see if I can rudder to nearest shoreline?

Of course dependiong on distance and water temp, I might have to cut the canoe loose rather than be dragged into hypothermia
Sort of a paddlers version of Ahab and the White Whale

mastertangler wrote on Mar 11^th, 2010 at 1:37pm:


Not sure if anyones really interested BUT I did say I would post the results about the inquiry concerning inflatables when I got the response back from the park.

They are in line with Transport Canada and have no special regulations. What ever is legal country wide is also acceptable in the park. There is one hitch however, it must be worn to be considered a PFD. Can't be just laying there.