Which Lifejacket?

sighmoon

sighmoon

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Serious post, on an issue which shouldn't really be contentious.

We're in the market for some lifejackets. What we want from a lifejacket is:

comfortable
automatic
harness ring
double crotch straps (more comfortable than a single crotch strap, they say)
sprayhood
High visibility pole thing.
We're a bunch of lightweights, so 150N should be fine.
Any other features good to have?

I'd also like a child's lifejacket that has all the above.

Last time I got the cheapest ones that fitted the bill, but they deflated rather quickly when we set a couple off accidentally. So which brand offers good ones, and where can we get them at a good price?

Thanks in advance
S
 
Hello.
If you would like to email me info@plmarine.com (this is my work email address) I would be happy to take a look to see if we can get a lifejacket that has all the things you would like.
We stock the Plastimo Pilot lifejackets but they do not have a spray hood as standard nor an inflatable pole but I think one of my suppliers do offer such a jacket.
 
Just about any lifejacket on the market will meet that spec - although the details of crotch straps, lights, hoods etc vary. They all meet the same spec and there is no reason why a "cheap" one should not perform the same function. You will find most jackets are now 175N but the standards are only at two levels - minimum 150 or 275.

As you know prices will vary by as much as 100% from cheapest to most expensive, so you need to be clear about whether you want to pay a premium and what you are getting for it. I have basic Seagos as I could not see what I was getting extra with higher priced products. However, the sprayhoods and lights are not very good, but at the time I bought them such features were only just coming in and I think they have improved since then.

There is no substitute for trying out a range of jackets side by side to find the ones you feel most comfortable with (in every sense). There are no "bad" ones and you will get as many positive recommendations as there are products on the market!
 
Tranona said:
...I have basic Seagos as I could not see what I was getting extra with higher priced products. ...!
Click to expand...

They are the ones I had last time. We inflated two accidentally, on two seperate occasions. In both cases it was flat as a pan cake 48 hours later. (under no pressure)
 
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Not excusing them, but the test is normally 24 hours.

As I pointed out all lifejackets are made to the same minimum standard of functionality. If you read the consumer tests in the mags, they come to a similar conclusion - that premium prices are not always easy to justify and choice is often down to individual preferences.
 
Tranona said:
Not excusing them, but the test is normally 24 hours.

As I pointed out all lifejackets are made to the same minimum standard of functionality. If you read the consumer tests in the mags, they come to a similar conclusion - that premium prices are not always easy to justify and choice is often down to individual preferences.
Click to expand...

Well it was still fairly flat after 24 hours, and that was not under load. I posted on here at the time; somebody suggested it was a bad batch and not representative.
 
Yes, there was a defective batch subject to a well publicised recall. All my originals were replaced with new ones. Don't know what the fault was, but I had to destroy the bladders and send the serial tags back - the jackets were in Greece.
 
Lifejackets I Prefer....

Having just changed all 8 of my lifejackets due to disapointing performance I understand what you are looking for. I do not represent any retail outlet or manufacturer, only a user who operates a sailing school where safety is paramount and the performance, longevity and ease of use are important.
I had the 8 jackets for less than a season and became disapointed with their performance.
Following a great deal of further research I have purchased 10 of the Baltic Winner 150N lifejackets. I am very satisfied so far and would reccommed them. Whilst they are not the cheapest, nor the most expensive they have been well designed and made in line with todays expected use I hink. I would not recommend some of the cheap ones offered in deals witha fancy bag thrown in!
I do hope this helps and would be more than willing to discuss this with you further and answer any questions you may have...... You may contact me direct from my web site.
Good luck with this.... :cool:

http://www.solentsailingschool.co.uk

'The RYA recommends that you wear a lifejacket or buoyancy aid unless you are sure you don t need to'.

http://www.rya.org.uk/aboutus/mediacentre/ryastatements/Pages/lifejackets.aspx
 
Kru Sport Pro - they may not have an inflatable pole thing or a double crotch strap, but the waistcoat style is sooo much more comfortable than any other (particularly for women) & the zip front is infinitely easier to manage with cold, wet fingers than the double buckle arrangement. Good harness attachment, excellent built in sprayhood in the right place (ie where your head is, not in a side pocket), automatic - don't come with a light, which is a bit of a swizz at the price, but there is an attachment point for one inside.
 
I'd second the Kru. Very comfortable and British made - I paid £140 including the light. It's so quick to fit I imagine the chandler would do it for you if you don't buy on-line.

While I like the idea of the pole, unless it's on a separate bladder it's something that can cause you LJ to deflate or not inflate properly so I'm not too unhappy it's not got one. Most of the time I'm sailing a light is far more useful.
 
Tranona said:
Yes, there was a defective batch subject to a well publicised recall. All my originals were replaced with new ones. Don't know what the fault was, but I had to destroy the bladders and send the serial tags back - the jackets were in Greece.
Click to expand...

Seago told me it was faulty material - porous! That's a pretty amazing QA failure in a life critical item.
Their test was to inflate and see if pressure lost over 24hrs. Mine was fine, despite being from the at risk date range, no detectable loss over several days.
I also have two cheap Parmaris Raider LJs, they also hold for several days.
Any LJ, cheap or dear, that doesn't hold pressure for a day has something wrong with it.

From the Seago recall:
The lifejackets are marked with a manufacture date in roman numerals, for instance the last quarter of 2005 is shown IV/05. The quarters concerned are:

IV/05
I/06
II/06
III/06
IV/06
I/07
 
SkipperJonB said:
Having just changed all 8 of my lifejackets due to disapointing performance I understand what you are looking for. I do not represent any retail outlet or manufacturer, only a user who operates a sailing school where safety is paramount and the performance, longevity and ease of use are important.
I had the 8 jackets for less than a season and became disapointed with their performance.
Following a great deal of further research I have purchased 10 of the Baltic Winner 150N lifejackets. I am very satisfied so far and would reccommed them. Whilst they are not the cheapest, nor the most expensive they have been well designed and made in line with todays expected use I hink. I would not recommend some of the cheap ones offered in deals witha fancy bag thrown in!
I do hope this helps and would be more than willing to discuss this with you further and answer any questions you may have...... You may contact me direct from my web site.
Good luck with this.... :cool:
Click to expand...

Similarly I have bought 8 Baltic Lifejackets for the sailing school. I like the black lifejackets as the mildew doesn't show.
I find double crotch straps very infuriating and would not recommend them. Even worse are thigh straps.
 
I honestly managed not to hear about the Seago recall when I had them. There was a comment on here that mine were probably from a faulty batch, but no mention of a recall.

Talulah said:
Similarly I have bought 8 Baltic Lifejackets for the sailing school. I like the black lifejackets as the mildew doesn't show.
I find double crotch straps very infuriating and would not recommend them. Even worse are thigh straps.
Click to expand...

I particularly value the sailing school input, as you must do more miles than most, with people more likely to fall over the side than most.

You don't rate the flagpole type then? I would have thought going over the side in lumpy conditions, a man in a lifejacket would disappear from sight very quickly indeed.
 
sighmoon said:
I honestly managed not to hear about the Seago recall when I had them. There was a comment on here that mine were probably from a faulty batch, but no mention of a recall.



I particularly value the sailing school input, as you must do more miles than most, with people more likely to fall over the side than most.

You don't rate the flagpole type then? I would have thought going over the side in lumpy conditions, a man in a lifejacket would disappear from sight very quickly indeed.
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On Seaside rescue they recovered a diver who was separated from his fellow divers and swept out to sea. The flagpole (bright orange) made him very visible compared to his black diving suit and he really stood out in the seas. However all lifejackets are bright orange once inflated. I really have no experience of the flagpole.

Not far down the line lifejackets will be fitted with AIS with built in GPS . Once the life jacket is deployed it will transmit the position of the casualty in the water.
 
Anothr vote for Kru Sport Pro

KRU Sport Pro - very comfortable and easy to put on - so they get used more. fitted my own lights.
The spray hood in the pocket at the back is very good as it doesn't push your neck forward as some others do. It is also easy to re-pack as it isn't such a tight fit in the cover as some.

Or Spinlock - also very comfortable, they have a double crutch strap.
 
we bought spinlocks 2 boat shows ago - very happy with them and more comfortable, we find, than the crewsaver traditional type
 
Marmalade said:
we bought spinlocks 2 boat shows ago - very happy with them and more comfortable, we find, than the crewsaver traditional type
Click to expand...

I have one Spinlock but converted the thigh straps to two crotch straps. The thigh/leg straps were a PIA. I also think that where the Spinlock has a specific 'left' and a 'right' it is complexity too far for a lifejacket that is often donned in the dark and maybe in a rush.
 
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We have a couple of Seago Olympic 180 jackets and find them great.
They have light, crutch strap and spray hood as standard and we have fitted separate personal danbuoys to the main straps of both.
I believe in a lifejacket test in a mag some time ago there was a suggestion that the jackets with the danbuoy (not sure if that’s the right word, it seems that it might be "pole thing" :)) can be a liability if someone tries to lift a casualty by the pole (:() and rips the bladder (I am not a medical man but I bet it would as well!)

Nick
 
lucyfparker said:
Kru Sport Pro - they may not have an inflatable pole thing or a double crotch strap, but the waistcoat style is sooo much more comfortable than any other (particularly for women) & the zip front is infinitely easier to manage with cold, wet fingers than the double buckle arrangement. Good harness attachment, excellent built in sprayhood in the right place (ie where your head is, not in a side pocket), automatic - don't come with a light, which is a bit of a swizz at the price, but there is an attachment point for one inside.
Click to expand...

Another vote for the Kru Sport Pro. I am told the reason for not including the light is that these have a finite life (battery) and therefore stock left over from one season to another will be worth less. Though, I expect many purchasers would not think of checking. If you buy light separately, one will be more aware!
 
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