Auto Gas Lifejacket

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apcheval

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Just bought a couple of Crewsaver Auto Gas Lifejackets with built in harness choosing Auto instead of Manual with the thought, that, just in case someone gets knocked overboard unconcious, then the Lifejacket would inflate when in contact with the water.

It then dawned on me what would happen if a solid amount of water came into the cockpit and drenched the person with the Auto Gas Lifejacket on and inflated it whilst still on the boat.

Anyone out there had any good or bad experiences with the Auto Gas type Lifejacket with built in harness.
 
If they are the 'ordinary' automatic type they can sometimes be triggered by what might be described as 'non-immersive wetting'. I once wore one through a long and unpleasant night passage during which I did get a bit wet. The following day I brushed past my LJ hung up to dry and the gas cylinder fired! The paper capsule had become damp enough to soften and then fail when bumped. The hydrostatic (Hammar) type are designed to obviate such problems as they will only trigger when immersed in about 100mm of water. They are of course rather more expensive than the simple automatics. Having said all that I still think the automatic option is a good one for the reasons you give. They don't accidentally trigger very often IME.
 
I bought a few automatics as well last year. I was faced with the choice between conventional (salt tablets) and hydrostatic (Hammar). Talking to the Dutch Rescue Service convinced me for the salt tablet version. The Hammar occasionally has problems firing off when you are not really sinking but float on your belly: You need less than 10cm to drown when unconscious.
The salt tablets need replacing every now and the, but are much cheaper that the Hammar release. The Hammar release needs replacement every now and then as well.

Under normal circumstances a salt-tablet life jacket will not go off. Just make sure you do not store it wet.


Cheers,

Arno
 
The only time that I had an automatic jacket fire when not needed was on the trampoline of a small, fast catamaran when a wave burst through the tramp. and soaked the auto valve from below.

Quite a shock when it went off /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]

Under normal circumstances a salt-tablet life jacket will not go off. Just make sure you do not store it wet.


[/ QUOTE ]

We had a spare one go off when hung up in a cupboard in our caravan. It had not been worn for some time.
It went off in the middle of the night and gave us all quite a fright. It is likely that it had got damp in there and gradually dissolved the salt.

It is obviously important to make sure they are washed and dried and the tablet replaced regularly. They need to be stored in a very dry place.
 
thats why you need to carry a spare gas canister...otherwise you have a useless life jacket.
Only time I had one go off was leaving it in the boot of the car with wet wetsuits on top.
Rather silly, really!
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Under normal circumstances a salt-tablet life jacket will not go off. Just make sure you do not store it wet.


[/ QUOTE ]

We had a spare one go off when hung up in a cupboard in our caravan. It had not been worn for some time.
It went off in the middle of the night and gave us all quite a fright. It is likely that it had got damp in there and gradually dissolved the salt.

It is obviously important to make sure they are washed and dried and the tablet replaced regularly. They need to be stored in a very dry place.

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm intrigued by the references to salt tablets. The crewsaver ones use a paper collar - a tightly wound cylinder of paper about 12mm dia and similar thickness. When dry it is hard and resistant to crushing but when wet the spring crushes the softened cylinder and punctures the gas cylinder. Do other makers use salt tablets?
 
I've had a few go off. Lessons learnt:

If the life jacket is wet, hang it up, don't lay it down where the damp can run up inside. It doesn't always help, but it seems to make a difference. On the other hand if the off watch crew are tardy at getting up, a damp lifejacket going off gets them up on their feet quickly.

Before leaving then to dry in the handbasin in the heads check it is not already full of water.

If hiking on a race boat be careful the manual pull chord isn't exposed and can't get caught on the guard rail as you hike out.

You could take out the salt tablet (or other material) firing mechanism if you're expecting it to be particularly wet. I know people who do this. I don't, but it has meant it's gone off as the result of my being dipped in the water during a chinese gybe.

I think age is a factor and maybe heat as I had one go off that hadn't been wet for over a month.

Keep a spare cylinder or two handy.
 
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