2015 Crewsaver Supersafe 150N Air Information?

[Mackinac]

Hi everyone,

I’m new on the forums and I am hoping someone might be able to help me find some more information about the Crewsaver Supersafe 150N Air lifejacket:

Crewsaver Supersafe 150N Air lifejacket

The current lifejacket we have is very close to being outgrown and we need to find a suitable replacement very soon. From the specifications, the Supersafe 150N Air looks ideal, but we cannot seem to find any detailed feedback or reviews.

I have searched on the forums, checked back issues of Practical Boat Owner and Yachting World (as best I am able using the relevant websites), looked for customer reviews through retailers, as well as used Google, however the only review/information I can find beyond the product specification, is from this German webpage:

German Review of Supersafe 150N Air lifejacket

Unfortunately, I can’t speak German and the page makes very little sense when viewed in Google translate.

Would anyone please happen to know where I could find some user reviews or any other information about the lifejacket?

Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks very much in advance.

 

[Redfox226]

Hi
I can read German after a fashion, and as I read the page, the Crewsaver came out best of the 3 jackets tested, no matter which way the water was entered, always turning the wearer onto their back and supporting the neck. The Secumar was definitely not recommended, as on several occasions it failed to turn casualty on their back, and it was possible with the Helly to remain prone until air exhaled from lungs.

They seemed more than happy with the Crewsaver.
HTH

 

[Mackinac]

Hi David – Thank you very much for the information; we really appreciate the help.

Given all three lifejackets must have passed industry testing standards, it is quite concerning to hear that certain lifejackets still perform poorly or inconsistently (or both). It is great to know the Supersafe consistently performs to a high standard.

Did the article happen to mention anything about comfort and ease of use? Given the above information, we are very confident the Supersafe is excellent with regard to safety, however we would like to make sure she’ll be comfortable wearing it (and also, if possible, willing to wear it!).

Any other ideas as to where we can find more information about the comfort and/or ease of use of the Crewsaver Supersafe would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you very much again to anyone who can help.

 

[steveej]

did you go ahead with the purchase?

I am looking at buying this at the moment as we are in exactly the same situation as yourself.

Safety without the tears would be fantastic.

 

[Mackinac]

Sorry for the late reply - we did get the Supersafe lifejacket and are very happy with it. We’ve written a review below which we hope is useful. We apologize for the length, but given how little information there is about the lifejacket, we thought a thorough review would be more helpful.

Basics

The lifejacket is a combination Air/Foam design aimed at ocean, offshore and costal use. Crewsaver claim it is the only lifejacket of its type, and after much searching, we could not find anything similar. It will appeal to those who regularly sail with kids in either costal waters or further offshore. Such flexibility does cost however and at around £75, the lifejacket is in the upper price range. While no product compares exactly, the nearest alternative is the inflatable Crewfit Junior 150N which is generally around £65.

The size range goes to 50kg (about 14 years) and will therefore also appeal to parents of older children who need the features of an offshore adult lifejacket, but aren’t quite ready to use one. Currently the lifejacket comes in four sizes:

0 to 18 months / <15kg (Baby)
18 months to 6 years / 15-30kg (Child)
6 to 10 years / 30-40kg (Large Child)
10 to 14 years / 40-50kg (Junior)

We’ve reviewed the Junior size which we bought for our then 13 (now 14) year old daughter (who is about 44kg).

Description/Features

The adjustable buoyancy is unique to the Supersafe. With the air chamber deflated, the buoyancy rating is 90N, and when inflated it is 115N (this is for the Junior size - ratings for the smaller sizes can be found on the product webpage under the “Size Guide” tab.). There are three air chambers; two on the front, and one across the shoulders under the collar. Inflation and deflation is manual via a tube on the left.

The jacket also has a clever comfort back brace which consists of a firm, but flexible panel which forms the entire back of the lifejacket. This is different from the old version she had which simply had some flotation foam across the shoulders. The back brace isn’t adjustable by itself, but fits by the adjustment of the safety harness.

The harness is also different from the old version. It has the standard link closure at the front, however adjustment is via a single slider on the main waist strap at the side. The mechanism is smartly designed and the harness is tightened by a simple forward pull on the loose end of the strap, and loosened by pulling the slider outwards from the waist strap which is also easy thanks to a thoughtfully placed red tab. The shoulder straps are not adjustable as they are concealed between the foam and air chambers. The harness has two crotch straps, and attaching a safety tether is via a d-ring located below the collar on the back of the lifejacket. The lifting strop is sewn to the waist strap at the front and is held neatly in place by a snap fastener. There are large solas reflective patches on the collar and front, and a whistle is also attached. The instructions are permanently attached to the lifejacket in a neat inside storage pouch preventing them from getting lost.

Comfort

While we knew an inflatable lifejacket wasn’t the right choice for our daughter, we were concerned a foam lifejacket would be bulky and uncomfortable. The Supersafe is neither. To the contrary, she actually finds it very comfortable. The front sections are pretty deep/thick (about 9 or 10 cm) but overall they’re smaller than on other lifejackets and they taper inwards at the bottom. Compared to more typical foam lifejackets she’s worn in the past, she finds it much easier to move about in, and the clever tapered shape means she can sit down in it without it pushing upwards from her lap. She’s also said it’s much cooler than her old lifejacket which probably because there is less foam and material at the sides so air circulation is much better than typical foam lifejackets.

The back brace is a really clever design which hugely improves the fit and comfort by helping to keep the jacket positioned firmly but comfortably. She told us it feels better that the old one because it sits more on her shoulders and not at the front. She also mentioned it keeps her back warmer which a big advantage on colder and windier days, although we’ve yet to see if this becomes an issue on warmer days.

The collar, like the front sections, is also fairly thick (about 7 or 8cm) but she’s actually found this to be better because it helps to keep it fairly flat and not get blown about too much by the wind. It’s a two piece design which means it’s flexible, but firm enough to stay in place and not bother her.

We tried it in the water once and she said it’s much more comfortable and stayed on much better than her old lifejacket. It’s worth noting that the lifejacket turns the child over by pushing their head upwards, and shoulders backwards. Most other children’s lifejackets “spin” the wearer over from left to right (or vice-versa) rather than “tip” them up as it were. In this way, the Supersafe works similarly to an inflatable lifejacket so using the crotch straps and having a few practices at swimming will be really important for kids who are used to more traditional foam lifejackets which “spin” the child over. In our test, she found the lifejacket comfortable and more secure than her old one.

There are some disadvantages, those these are minor. Firstly, the jacket sits fairly high up and while this is generally fine, with the thicker foam in the front it needs a few trips to get used to. She reads a lot at the cockpit table for example and did have to adjust to this slightly.

Also, the lifejacket isn’t the lightest and while of very high quality, the harness fittings in particular make it heavier than others. This said, she’s never mentioned this as an issue even when she’s had it on all day. We only noticed when we picked up her old one and the Supersafe together and noticed there is a difference. While probably unimportant for older children, for younger kids this might be a bit more of an issue in terms of comfort.
On the whole, the Supersafe is clearly very comfortable and a definite improvement over her old lifejacket. Regardless of conditions our rule is that her lifejacket is on all the time and she’s always clipped in (except for when she’s below and off the companionway), and its proved very comfortable whatever the situation – sitting, reading, moving about, and when in the water. The clever front panels and the back brace definitely help overcome much of the issues traditionally associated with foam lifejackets and if we ever need a lifejacket for one of her friends, we’d definitely buy another one.

Ease of Use

Despite the extra features of the Supersafe, it is no more complicated to use than any standard foam lifejacket. It is easy to don and take off, and she can do this even below at the foot of companionway. As there is no foam at the sides, it tends to lose its shape and can end up a bit twisted if taken off too quickly. Though our daughter sorts this out in a couple of seconds, for parents of younger kids who are encouraging them to learn how to manage their own lifejacket, it may end up needing some sorting out before they can get it on.

The front zipper is very smooth and has not jammed once. The harness buckle is the standard link buckle, which is fine for a older child but younger kids may need some assistance to ensure it’s fastened properly. The crotch straps are as easy to buckle and adjust as any other lifejacket and certainly won’t cause a problem, but because of the design of the front of the jacket, our daughter has found leaving them buckled and stepping into them and pulling the lifejacket upwards is simpler and quicker (especially when donning it in the small space at the bottom of the companionway). The thoughtfully designed adjusting slider on the waist strap is also easy for her to use.

Inflating and deflating the lifejacket is very easy and simply involves removing the cap from the tube and about one big (or two normal) breaths will inflate the jacket to its maximum. When deflated the air chambers are folded and held in place by the front fabric of the lifejacket which is folded over at the sides and secured using Velcro. Clearly there has been a lot of thought as to exactly where to place the Velcro as it stows the deflated air chambers securely but comes apart quickly when the lifejacket is inflated. This is excellent as it means no extra effort or preparation is required to part the Velcro when inflating the lifejacket. While our rule is that she inflate the lifejacket in heavier conditions anyway, should the worst happen and she finds herself in the water without the air chambers inflated, we’re very confident she could inflate it. The cap is attached to the tube so it won’t get lost so for younger kids, it might be worth leaving the cap off so all they have to do is locate the tube. Crewsaver have clearly taken a lot of care to make sure the tube is positioned near to the child’s mouth to make it is easy to locate for the child if they’re in the water, however it certainly doesn’t get in the way.

Deflating the lifejacket is relatively simple but might need a couple of attempts to get used to. To deflate the lifejacket you invert the cap, place it atop the tube and push downwards to release the air. Because there are three chambers it does require that the last bit of air from each is manually squeezed out as the chambers don’t always fully empty. This requires you hold the cap in place, and press on the right chamber first, then the chamber on the shoulders under the collar, before the last chamber on the left. While there is no need for all the air to be expelled, it does help when it comes to stowing the chambers properly. While this isn’t any big hassle after doing it two or three times, it can’t really be done when the lifejacket is being worn (which means her going below and taking it off, or keeping it inflated until we return).

The main drawback for some will be that the tether attaches at the back. For younger children, this is clearly a useful safety feature to keep inquisitive hands from unclipping, however for some older children it may be impractical. We’ve never found this to be an issue, as we simply leave the tether attached to the lifejacket so when she puts it on, we can clip her tether to the jacklines or padeye as soon as we’re aboard (before we get to the boat she simply hooks the free end of the tether to the front of the belt). Though the rear attachment works fine for us, the inclusion of front d-ring would have at least provided another option, which some may actually prefer.

While the lifejacket is not an inflatable design in the usual sense, we would recommend servicing it regularly but we haven’t had to do this yet. Given there is no cartridge or firing mechanism, we imagine the cost will be minimal. Besides this, the only maintenance needed is the usual rinsing with cold (fresh) water after use.

Overall, the lifejacket is very easy for her to don and take off, and the inflation is also very easy. Deflating it properly is a little tricky at first but isn’t an issue in the long term. The only exception is the rear tether attachment point, which most children will not be able to reach. Whether this is a benefit or a shortcoming, will depend on the child wearing the lifejacket, but a front attachment point would have been a simple and welcome addition although the waist strap may be too low to use as a safe location for a tether. Either way, having a front attachment point would have been very useful, especially given the lifejacket (at least in our case) will last a child up to 15 years old.

Practicality/Safety

The lifejacket is clearly very safe and is clearly comfortable enough and practical to wear all day. To keep things simple and as safe as possible our rule is that she wears it all the time and is always clipped in regardless of conditions or position, and she’s never once mentioned any annoyances or discomfort after wearing it for hours at a time. While lifejacket preferences are different for each person, this is a fair indicator that most kids will not feel uncomfortable in the Supersafe.

Regarding being in the water, in our own test the lifejacket took three seconds to lift her head from the water, and another two to turn her upright with her head resting backwards (this was with the air chambers inflated) which is excellent however, in terms of being in the water, there are two drawbacks.

Firstly, there is no way to practically attach an emergency light. This is odd given a simple clip near the whistle would have allowed for such. While we’re sure there is a way, any attachment of a light would likely need Crewsaver’s advice or approval.

Secondly, there is no facility to attach a sprayhood. While this would not ordinarily apply to foam lifejackets, once the lifejacket is inflated the design of the air chambers is such that “channeling” of spray and water is possible. Therefore the incorporation (or means to attach) a sprayhood would have been a useful feature.

While neither of these two things is likely to be a deal-breaker, they would have been welcome for those who do lots of offshore sailing and longer trips. Nonetheless, we are very confident in the overall safety and quality of the lifejacket and honestly believe it is the best lifejacket for our needs and is safer than any other foam lifejacket (by virtue of design and buoyancy rating). While the buoyancy rating of 115N doesn’t quite match that of the 150N Crewfit Junior, it is, we believe, just as good and just as practical.

Verdict

The Supersafe is a superb lifejacket with a variety of clever design aspects which make it very safe, very versatile, and very practical. There are some disadvantages such as the rear d-ring and the slightly fiddly deflation, but these are fine for us and we’re very happy it. Most importantly, our daughter finds the lifejacket comfortable, unobtrusive, and easy to get on and off. While there are junior inflatable lifejackets available, for those, like us, who prefer kids to have foam lifejackets, we highly recommend the Supersafe. It is definitely at the more expensive end of the options, but the features and quality certainly justify the cost.

We hope this is helpful and we apologize for the length – given the lack of reviews and available information on the Supersafe, we thought a longer, detailed review would be better.

 

[TomF]

If you are getting rid of the jacket, please let me know. I am looking to buy one for my son, but i am finding it near impossible to get one.