Lifejackets

[WoodyP]

Anybody mentioned atether ring/harness on the lj?

 

[Stemar]

Anybody mentioned atether ring/harness on the lj?

Didn't mention it because it's a given, as far as I'm concerned.

There was someone on here whose safety briefing went something like "This is a lifeline it will keep you on board. This is a lifejacket. It will help the RNLI retrieve your body if you don't use the lifeline"

 

[LadyInBed]

Anything actually wrong with them? Inspect the webbing for fraying, loose stitching etc, inflate and check for acute leaks with soapy water and chronic leaks by leaving inflated for 24hrs. replace out of date inflator bobbins, check the cylinder and replace if rusty; that's all that happens when they're done by the professionals.

See #3 ?

 

[Roberto]

For 'normal' sailing conditions a lj with too much buoyancy will be cumbersome and may stop you being able to use your arms to swim (even backwards).

+1
I tried a 270N, I think it would be also next to impossible to climb into a liferaft with that huge bladder attached.

 

[laika]

Interesting. Multiple post saying...

1. Get one with a spray hood
2. Get one with a light
3. [on other threads] Attach a PLB and radio
4. Must have crotch straps
5. More likely to wear if comfortable

Seems like 1-4 conflict a good bit with 5. Just sayin", it's starting to sound like a combat vest.

Sprayhood and light are cleverly packed away on modern life jackets and don’t add much bulk. For point 4…it needs something to stop it riding up but anyone know what the debate is on crotch straps vs thigh straps? My old spinlock has the latter but they seem to have moved to crotch straps on the recent ones. PLB isn’t much bigger than the multitool many of us carry on our belts and I don’t think most have a radio permanently attached

True my fancy spinlock is bulkier than the old basic lifejackets but it’s not noticeable over wet weather gear

 

[Refueler]

Mine get binned after seven years. Having just done the RYA Sea Survival Course the current thinking is 150 is fine. Personally, I prefer more buoyancy.

Find one that is comfy and has a spray hood.

Can I send you my address - you can send to me ............... instead of binning.

OK - Buoyancy ...... this is a discussable topic because the amount of GROSS buoyancy of a LJ is rarely used ..... any part of the LJ that is NOT in the water is what we term RESERVE BUOYANCY ..... same as the raised bow of a ship ... it has no actual play in normal flotation - but provides an uplift force when submerged.
Therefore a standard LJ of about 150n is usually more than enough ... as part of it is NOT in water.

 

[Refueler]

Sprayhood and light are cleverly packed away on modern life jackets and don’t add much bulk. For point 4…it needs something to stop it riding up but anyone know what the debate is on crotch straps vs thigh straps? My old spinlock has the latter but they seem to have moved to crotch straps on the recent ones. PLB isn’t much bigger than the multitool many of us carry on our belts and I don’t think most have a radio permanently attached

True my fancy spinlock is bulkier than the old basic lifejackets but it’s not noticeable over wet weather gear

My LJ's came with thigh straps ... every time I stood up - the strap had slid down and made it difficult to move.

I soon changed that by creating my own crotch straps ......

Original awful thigh strap :

Simple modification and now secure crotch strap :

 

[Stemar]

My guest LJs had the same thigh straps. Horrible things.

 

[thinwater]

I don’t think there need be any conflict. Our Spinlock 6D’s have AIS beacons and PLB’s, crutch straps, lights, hoods etc and are very comfortable. They’re not cheap though and I try not to think how much each one was…!

Our understanding of "very comfortable" is likely somewhat different. The other thing that probably enters in is typical weather condisions. Much of our summer is 35C plus and lighter winds.

In the winter I am likely to wear a drysuit, increasing the safety level above what any PFD can deliver IMO.

Horses for courses.

 

[jwilson]

Our understanding of "very comfortable" is likely somewhat different. The other thing that probably enters in is typical weather condisions. Much of our summer is 35C plus and lighter winds.

In the winter I am likely to wear a drysuit, increasing the safety level above what any PFD can deliver IMO.

Horses for courses.

Never owned one but I thought it was important to have a PFD with a drysuit, as otherwise headfirst into the water with the air in it could end up with you having very floaty feet and a very underwatery head.

 

[Parabolica]

I have to buy life jackets in early Jan. As the boat resides in Majorca I plan to buy them from the chandlery at the marina. any pitfalls in doing this as the brands being offered are different to those in the review of this thread ?

I assume that as long as they conform to an accredited standard, they will be fine ?

 

[john_morris_uk]

Our understanding of "very comfortable" is likely somewhat different. The other thing that probably enters in is typical weather condisions. Much of our summer is 35C plus and lighter winds.

In the winter I am likely to wear a drysuit, increasing the safety level above what any PFD can deliver IMO.

Horses for courses.

We’re currently just N of the tropics and for most of 2023 will be in the tropics so your point re temperature is already accounted for in my description of ‘comfortable’.

There were lots of circumstances in my professional life where it was mandatory to wear a dry suit (immersion suit). I was never permitted to wear just the suit without a lifejacket as it would have been far too dangerous. The lifejacket turns you the right way up with your airway clear.

I would be interested to know of any lifejacket more comfortable than the Spinlock ones we have

 

[Sandy]

Can I send you my address - you can send to me ............... instead of binning.

OK - Buoyancy ...... this is a discussable topic because the amount of GROSS buoyancy of a LJ is rarely used ..... any part of the LJ that is NOT in the water is what we term RESERVE BUOYANCY ..... same as the raised bow of a ship ... it has no actual play in normal flotation - but provides an uplift force when submerged.
Therefore a standard LJ of about 150n is usually more than enough ... as part of it is NOT in water.

As I tend to sail in cold waters and wear lots of layers. Each of those layers trap water, water has mass. With more newtons I can adjust, assuming I have a high Glasgow Coma score, when in the water. If I don't have those additional newtons I can't. I know how low I am in the water with a 150 N LJ as I've been in the water with an inflated LJ.

Happy to send my old LJs over. I'll let you know when they are up for binning, you pay postage.

 

[thinwater]

a. I didn't say that a dry suit should be worn without a PDF. I perhaps implied that in 0-5C water, the PDF will do much less good than the drysuit. I've been in 0C water for 6 hours, in a drysuit, for a test, and I was warmer when I came out than when I started. In some other outfit ... after 15 minutes things start getting grim. How fast can you collect that MOB? But yes, you should wear a PDF.

Much of the floaty-feet problem comes from not removing the excess air before zipping up. There should be VERY little free air if properly fitted and donned. If you just pull it on or if it is too large, yes , it can be rediculous.

b. The trick with leg loops, as any climber knows and the PDF makers do not, is that you must have light elastic to hold them up from the back side. Obviously, millions of climbers use leg loops every day. They are supported by elastic. Otherwise they slide behind your knees when you squat, sit, or step up.

 

[Graham376]

Never owned one but I thought it was important to have a PFD with a drysuit, as otherwise headfirst into the water with the air in it could end up with you having very floaty feet and a very underwatery head.

I saw that happen on a dive one time. Female using a borrowed dry suit which was too large for her, surfaced uncontrolled feet first, fortunately only from short time at 17m. As she was diving, she had a bcd which kept her head out of the water but if just the dry suit and falling off a boat, would likely have drowned without assistance. Very important a dry suit is the correct size and excess air expelled.

 

[Ammonite]

I saw that happen on a dive one time. Female using a borrowed dry suit which was too large for her, surfaced uncontrolled feet first, fortunately only from short time at 17m. As she was diving, she had a bcd which kept her head out of the water but if just the dry suit and falling off a boat, would likely have drowned without assistance. Very important a dry suit is the correct size and excess air expelled.

The dive version is a bit different in that you deliberately add air to the suit as you descend (to maintain the correct buoyancy, comfort and warmth), which needs to be expelled as you ascend and the problem arises when trapped/excess air expands on the way up leading to an uncontrolled ascent. That's why there's specific dive suit training that includes being taught how to right yourself from an inverted position, and also why you wear ankle weights. It still doesn't change the fact that you need to wear the right size and expel any excess air on the surface as well as wearing the appropriate flotation device for each as you say.

 

[Gsailor]

My dry suit has zips on the outer layer of the legs to ensure little air is in the lower portion of the suit.

Plenty of youtube videos on how to don a dry suit and dispel air properly.