Crutchless life jackets

[MarkJohnson12345]

An article in the PBO talks of wearing lifejackets slipping over your head unless its very tight.

I must admit that wearing a lifejacket is done without thinking to far ahead, and I have noticed that we all wear them quite loose, for comfort reasons.

Mine certainly does not have a crutch strap, so am wondering if the lifejacket is going to do its job when called for at an unexpected time!

Maybe I ought to add a crutch strap?

 

[Lakesailor]

Probably like crutchless knickers, not a lot of practical use really.

 

[ditchcrawler]

I went to a talk by the RNLI Seasafe man last week & his advice was that crutch straps should be sold as part of the lifejacket not an optional extra.As it happens I have just purchased new replacement lifejackets with free crutch straps.I have always worn crutch straps anyway.

 

[michaelveale]

There's an easy way to test whether you need a crutch strap but you might want to wait until the water is a bit warmer.

 

[bigmart]

I have posted this here before.

Some years ago I was asked to take part in some tests to evaluate several brands of Self Inflating Life Jacket.

I would say that a Jacket without Crutch Straps is dangerous. They ride up & in one case the Jacket came off the wearer.

We also found that Jackets with Zip Up, as opposed to Velcro, Stoles inflated unevenly causing the wear to tip sideways in the water.

Hope that helps.

Martin

 

[MarkJohnson12345]

Don't go there!!!!

 

[Vara]

If you can,get on a sea survival course there have been loads of posts on the subject,great fun and an absolute eye opener.Failing that go to local swimming pool and try life jacket out with the normal tension and do a feet first entry to water.
I agree with the view that Life jackets should come already fitted with crotch or thigh straps otherwise it's a bit like having a seat belt without a buckle,same goes for spray hoods.(IMO).

 

[Rowana]

I agree.

Personally, I wiuldn't even CONSIDER a lifejacket without crotch straps.

Make sure you do them up properly. Soprano should be about right

 

[bigmart]

Isnt. that about 10mm short of castrato!

Martin /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[tome]

Castrato = Soprano sitting down

 

[Lakesailor]

[ QUOTE ]
Don't go there!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

No really. They're both decorative but you wouldn't want to rely on them in an emergency. If you're going to put on a lifejacket. Make sure it will do the job.

 

[Gunfleet]

You\'d better have your reactions to both planned out.

If the Missus turns up in a crutchless lifejacket it means something completely different from her turning up in crutchless knickers. If the latter she won't want you smelling of a 50:1 gasoil mix and fretting about frapping halyards. If the former... oops. Better stop.

 

[rogerroger]

Re: You\'d better have your reactions to both planned out.

When my life jacket hydrostatic mechanism expired I put on my full oilies and boots and jumped into the pool with it.

Even with a crotch strap and being done tighter than normal it was still amazing how far it rode up and how low I sank in it.

I think the answer is to be familiar enough with it to be able to easily tighten it once in. I jumped in the pool during the hot summer of 2003 with someone standing by and it was still a really scary experience - your oilies and boots fill up and it's almost impossible to move.

 

[Oldhand]

Re: You\'d better have your reactions to both planned out.

The correct procedure for entering the water when wearing a lifejacket is to have your elbows at your side and both hands pulling the strap under the bottom of the lifejacket downwards. This avoids the lifejacket riding up, crutch straps or not. (As instructed in a safety at sea course for offshore workers in the 1970's).

 

[tyce]

Re: You\'d better have your reactions to both planned out.

been on quite a few offshore survival/heli vac courses thro work.
the courses have all been done crutchless, and in v choppy water, never had a problem with the jackets riding up dangerously, tho i must admit with crutch would be the better option.

 

[fireball]

Re: You\'d better have your reactions to both planned out.

But a pain in the a*se when going to use the facilities ... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[tsmyth]

I thought the difference between soprano ad castrato was in frquency. Therfore, I presume that the 10 mm refers to wave length?

Ray

 

[Steve Clayton]

Re: You\'d better have your reactions to both planned out.

[ QUOTE ]
The correct procedure for entering the water when wearing a lifejacket is to have your elbows at your side and both hands pulling the strap under the bottom of the lifejacket downwards....... (As instructed in a safety at sea course for offshore workers in the 1970's).

[/ QUOTE ]

The water entry procedure we were instructed on (Sea Survival course at Warsash) a couple of years ago was one arm across the chest, and with the other arm/hand pinch your nose between thumb and forefinger with the palm of your hand covering your mouth.

No problem with the lifejacket riding up cos crutch straps are a 100% must have!!! - don't understand why these aren't a standard item on (most) new lifejackets /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[jonjo]

Re: crotch, crotch, crotch - yawn

I am not convinced by the crotch brigade.

Isn't this analogous to a conventional car seatbelt v. a 3 point racing rally harness?

Both do the essential job of preventing the occupant exiting through the windscreen headfirst at 40 mph.

A 3 point harness can be justified in a rally car because there is an expectation of a crash but when sailing I expect never to fall overboard.

 

[samuel]

Re: crotch, crotch, crotch - yawn

"The water entry procedure we were instructed on (Sea Survival course at Warsash) a couple of years ago was one arm across the chest, and with the other arm/hand pinch your nose between thumb and forefinger with the palm of your hand covering your mouth."


Who you kidding!! Last 2 times I went overboard it was arms flailing trying to grab anything going.

Both times I was not wearing crutch straps ( Mind you I forgot to inflate the lifejacket anyway) but I suspect that if someone tried to lift me out of the water by my lifejacket the crutch straps would have caused more damage than was worth it. If I had been clipped on I suspect that the damage would have been irrepairable

I tend to wear the lifejacket under my jacket so it would not come off but I am not sure I could inflate it there. A bouyancy aid, rather than a lifejacket, worn under a top is very good provided the wearer is rescued a bit sharpish.There are no bits of strap to get snagged