Repairs to lifejackets - help required

[JamesS]

I bought a couple of manual gas lifejackets about 8 years ago (sorry, forgotten manufacturer) and the collar containing the inflatable lung is held together with a zip.

The zips have corroded and need replacing (you can bet they are not just any old zip as they are designed to automatically part as the jacket inflates).

The manufacturer has gone out of business - does anyone have a contact where these can be replaced?

Cheers,

James

 

[steve_cronin]

At the risk of causing embarrasment, could I ask if this is because of not being able to afford new lifejackets or is it (like a lot of us) just hating to see otherwise serviceable items going to the tip?

IMHO everything has it's base cost, trying to go below which puts one in the area of not being able to afford the pursuit at all. If, for example you had built a bike from old parts but the last component, the brake blocks were not aquireable, wouldn't you be best advised NOT to take up cycling?

What I am trying to say, and this comes from one who has used all sorts of compromises and "make -dos" over the last 1/4 century of boating, is that the one thing I would never compromise on is the safety equipment. You are right, those zippers are made to burst open at a pre-determined level of force and to replace them with some un-specified alternative from another manufacturer would be folly absolute.

Three things (IMHO) one should NEVER compromise on are:-

1. Last line safety.

2. Communications.

3. Protective clothing.

Patch up your flexible water tanks by all means but get some new lifejackets because if those zips don't part properly the air sac will as an alternative crush the air out of the chest of the wearer.

Please accept this advice in the manner in which it is offered.

Steve Cronin

 

[tcm]

Re: agreed

buy new ones, but keep the others as something else to chich in and cling on to, thereby satisfying the "scrimp and save" gene.

 

[Guest]

What cost life?

As a matter of principle I have the lifejackets for my family serviced annually, and then after about 8 years they are discarded, and new ones bought.

Don't compromise James...chuck 'em out and buy some new ones!

 

[mtb]

It cost about £35.00 for brand new ones from compass at the LBS,
Why bother with risking problems when you need it most.These are auto and manual 150n all to European spec
Mick


http://homepage.ntlworld.com/boats
I want a big steel ex trawler / tug v/cheep or swap for tug

 

[Landlubber]

If you were to buy a new life jacket from a well-known supplier, you would probably find that it is held together with velcro strips. They don't seem to use zips any more. The velcro ones work fine, although I think there must be a limit to the number of times you can open and close them before the velcro becomes tatty. "Velcro" is somebody's trademark but I've forgotten whose. Velcro strips are available for sources like textile suppliers etc.

 

[chrisc]

you could try bits of that silvery tape ,and elasoplast
then finish with bits of old string .-
or you could buy new lifejackets.

 

[Falcon71]

Velcro is all find and dandy, but as I have said in another message, it knits to itself eventually, and if of the older version with velcro on all edges, the water cannot get in to hit the inflate bit, so shave, or unstitch the bottom ends. I see that the newer version, that I will be buying v soon, has the bottom edge open so water can get in. Much safer.