because I have a bunch of expiring LL Bean coupons so among what they have, I like the Astral Camino.  I sit on a seat with no back and canoe in Q mostly - know kayaks and no kneeling and no seat backs to deal with.  Also looking at the Kokatat Orbit Tour - seems too "small" but I want light and airy - and the Astral V-Eight.  Opinions welcomed - especially if you have worn one of these.

Thanks.  They are sending me two - a Astaral V Eight and a Kokatat Bahai Tour - and I can return them.  I kind of think one of these will probably be a good fit and I don't have to travel to Maine - as much as i would like  to.

I liked the looks af that v8 - designed for ventilation is interesting.  while I normally wear my pfd all the time, this year was so hot and relatively calm on the lakes, I didn't wear it half the time - so the ventilation features sound pretty good.  also, it seems to have a full back panel which allows for a thinner front (less bulky in front) - the Bahai on the other hand, seems to be designed for kayaks, which generally means a thin back, so most of the flotation is in the fron, making for a bulky front.  I have a Patagonia pfd like that, and it is maybe 3" thick or more in the front before putting anything in the pockets, which I find to be a bit of an inconvenience, though not an overwhelmnig one.

I'm not familiar with those, but they look nice. Have you gotten to try one on yet?

I use these for work: (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) (often on barges in the Hudson). In winter I've got this to put over the rest of my work garb: (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

Yeah, they're pricey, but they are compact. My experience w/ PPE is that the more I'm wearing, the bulkier my profile, the clumsier I get and the LESS safe I am. So, I've gotten in the habit of paying for competently functioning minimalism.

I have sung the praises of the Mustang PFD inflatable before and am somewhat surprised they are not a more common option with the paddling community. Standard fare for the sailing community as well as fish and game officials. Throw in the Coast Guard for good measure.

I only speak for myself............but I would have a hard time not bursting into flames wearing a traditional pfd. I get overheated while paddling or hiking when I have to much stuff on.

The initial cost can be high........especially with the hydrostatic models (automatic). I was also concerned about the additional cost and weight of a re-arm kit. But having had the idignity of rolling my boat while connected to the pike of my life (of course it was  ) and causing my vest to inflate (nothing quite like 35lbs of bouyancy) I became familiar with the blow tube option. I was fairly astonished at just how few breaths it took to pump up the bladders and now I don't even think of a re-arm kit.

Anyway, the thing is so comfy you literally don't even realize you have it on.