Crewsaver ergofit - attaching a plb?

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Paddy Fields

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Hi all

I have a rescumeMe PLB1, and am thinking about getting an ergofit life jacket from Crewsaver, and would like to know if there are good options for attaching my PLB to it. The jackets I’ve seen packs down pretty tight, so I’m wondering if there is space in there for the PLB.

The “Offshore” version of the ergofit also has a zipped pocket on the front - is that for a PLB? And if so, is it easy to access after the jacket deploys?

Any experience from Crewsaver owners would be very much appreciated.

Thanks

Dan

P.s. don’t ask me why I bought a plb before a life jacket :-)
 
I’ve the same jacket and plb, i have the small pocket on the side strap, works well but I also added a short length of elastic over the top to make sure it stays in. At SBS I spoke to crewsaver rep and he did say others fit using the plastic holder inside near the blow tube.
 
Contact Crewsaver, their after sales service is fantastic, they even respond to Facebook messages.

I was advised at the Southampton Boat Show that the pocket in the front is not for PLBs as once the jacket is inflated gaining access is difficult. I use mine for sweets.
 
Sandy said:
Contact Crewsaver, their after sales service is fantastic, they even respond to Facebook messages.

I was advised at the Southampton Boat Show that the pocket in the front is not for PLBs as once the jacket is inflated gaining access is difficult. I use mine for sweets.
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Interesting - I use the pocket to hold a knife on a lanyard to enable me to cut free if being dragged in the water. I am going to have to inflate it to see if I could reach it.
We have the offshore version which were demo’ed by Crewsaver staff at SIBS and we were shown the pocket but not told it would not be accessible. I regularly ask my wife to put her hand to the zip so that she/we will instinctively know where to go when needed - but maybe I have been wasting my time!
My AIS beacon is attached to the bladder for automatic deployment, but PLB is carried in a clothing pocket at night (and in rough conditions) but it would seem to me that designing an accessible pocket for knife/PLB would be a good selling point for a life jacket.
 
I have a Seago Active 190 and a RescueMe PLB1. The LJ is quite compact, [circumference, uninflated, in the area of the blow tube is 21.5cm (8.5ins)]. The PLB is designed to be installed inside the cover, attached to the blow tube and to activate automatically with the aid of a loop of cord around the bladder.
I found that it fitted in with no difficulty and did not affect the comfort of the LJ (when wearing oilskins and several layers). However, when I installed it in my wife's (similar) LJ she found it uncomfortable to wear with just a T-shirt under (she's currently "ARC-ing" across the Atlantic!), so I had to push it up to near the top of the blow tube. Hope this helps.
 
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I was going to ask a similar question. If I leave my PLB dangling so that it's accessible it gets in the way and is liable to damage. If I tuck it into a pocket or behind the straps, it would become difficult to reach once the jacket is inflated. I also have a Seago Active 190 so I will see if my McMurdo Fastfind 220 will tuck under the cover next to the blow tube. Thanks for the tip Spirit.
 
Dipper said:
I was going to ask a similar question. If I leave my PLB dangling so that it's accessible it gets in the way and is liable to damage. If I tuck it into a pocket or behind the straps, it would become difficult to reach once the jacket is inflated. I also have a Seago Active 190 so I will see if my McMurdo Fastfind 220 will tuck under the cover next to the blow tube. Thanks for the tip Spirit.
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I fear the McMurdo might be a bit bigger than the RescueMe and will not fit in the Seago 190. A friend has one which he attaches, somehow, to the harness belt of his LJ, at his hip. Perhaps there is a belt clip or pouch...
 
Like others here, I have pondered this question.
Placing a PLB inside the zipper seems neat, and allows the PLB to be accessible once the jacket has inflated. I suppose it is foolproof? (It adds some bulk, and if it has been bumped, I hope it doesn’t interfere with the inflation when deployed.)
It seems to me that placing the PLB on the belt section, will render it impossible to access once the jacket has inflated.
Even an external sleeve pocket on the oilskin jacket will be very hard to reach over inflated tubes.
It would be great to hear from a MOB who has deployed this gear.
 
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Daverw said:
The PLB1 comes with a small neoprene pouch that fits on the belt strap
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The PLB1 need the neoprene pouch to float. So if the pouch is attached to the LJ, and you intend to remove the PLB from the pouch to activate it, you’d better not drop it....
 
Some useful ideas here. I'm going to have to experiment over the winter. Of course it will be a waste of time if I don't end up overboard - at least that was my attitude before I fell off my stern ladder fully clothed (and wearing wellies) whilst on my mooring.
 
I have my PLB inside my Crewsaver ergo attached to the inflation tube. As far as I can see the zipped pocket will be in accessible once the LJ has inflated. Packing it inside is very tight and I do need to reconsider this as it seems to get worse every time I inflate / test and repack.
 
The antenna needs to be out of the water for any device to work, I would not find this an issue as you soon settle down when first dunked, catch your breath and then work through setting the beacon. I’ve spent much time in the water whilst white water kayaking and as long as not injured just takes a few moments
 
Daverw said:
The antenna needs to be out of the water for any device to work, I would not find this an issue as you soon settle down when first dunked, catch your breath and then work through setting the beacon. I’ve spent much time in the water whilst white water kayaking and as long as not injured just takes a few moments
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Hopefully someone rocks up after a short while, and you don’t die of hypothermia. But in theory you could be waiting there for a while, trying to hold the plb out of the water.
 
Not too happy with the concept of a PLB which activated automatically (mentioned in a previous post) when the lifejacket inflates. One of my more embarrassing moments was jumping into the water to pursue an errant dinghy (this in a sheltered anchorage) forgetting I was still wearing a lifejacket. My embarrassment would have been all the greater if I sparked off an emergency response … at least I know the lifejacket works, precious information which cost me a new arming kit.
I am a bit more concerned with the problem of how long I could hold a PLB in the correct position and whether it would be possible to devise a fitting which would hold the PLB in the correct attitude.
Meanwhile the PLB lives in my trousers pocket (with a lanyard) . Even if I am not wearing a lifejacket, I am still wearing my trousers. Probably.
 
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