Okay Lets Talk Lifevests again

[Volvo]

Sometime back i asked the same question regarding inflatable lifevests and ended up buying two auto inflatable Crewsaver vests .
One for me n one for the Missus who cannot Swim and would have a spazaattack if she went overboad so hence the auto vest.
Anyhoos hers i found all opened up on its own!!?? , Cartridge white corosion with pinhole , and did think it may have inflated and deflated all on its own but that did not happen as i blew it opne myself suss out what may have transpired??.
back to where i thought i purchased them with no record showing but what the heck its all about safety so i purchased anothery (Marlin ) this time , keep on the safe side of Boating .
In the meantime im reviewing Auto Inflatable Lifevests have one or two on standby aside just incase ??..
Now what does it make for the extra cost of an Auto Lifevest in the huge pricerange one finds on the net ??..
From $89 all the way to 500/600 bucks ??. Material , sewing , CO2 container , Brand Name , or just whatever price sounds good for the day/week/month??..

[bluefin59]

Sometime back i asked the same question regarding inflatable lifevests and ended up buying two auto inflatable Crewsaver vests .
One for me n one for the Missus who cannot Swim and would have a spazaattack if she went overboad so hence the auto vest.
Anyhoos hers i found all opened up on its own!!?? , Cartridge white corosion with pinhole , and did think it may have inflated and deflated all on its own but that did not happen as i blew it opne myself suss out what may have transpired??.
back to where i thought i purchased them with no record showing but what the heck its all about safety so i purchased anothery (Marlin ) this time , keep on the safe side of Boating .
In the meantime im reviewing Auto Inflatable Lifevests have one or two on standby aside just incase ??..
Now what does it make for the extra cost of an Auto Lifevest in the huge pricerange one finds on the net ??..
From $89 all the way to 500/600 bucks ??. Material , sewing , CO2 container , Brand Name , or just whatever price sounds good for the day/week/month??..

I gave up on auto inflating life vests that also need yearly servicing and are flimsy at best , I bought full fitting zip up PFDs that don’t need servicing like these https://tasweld.com.au/buy/clothing/...fe-jacket-l100

[Volvo]

Yeah Mate would have done the same but Missus is a tad hard to fit normally and an Auto inflate would best suit her so she can Fish Comfortably at the same time.
Me , i have a bit of a hard earnt Gut and again a normal jacket would be a tad uncomfy lol , so inflatable suits best ..
have done my own serviceing which is legal though every five years they have to go in for full inspection which is all good by me.
Just have to have written proof of inspecion on jacket if you get pulled over as well as date of purchase which ive also written on jacket..
Just a vast difference in pricing is what gets me as well as the cost for a sevice kit depending where you purchase one??..
tackle Shops arent Cheap Web is but can one compare Apples with Apples far as the kits are concerned ??..

[gunna]

I also got sick and tired of the canisters degrading in the inflatables. Back to the old style.

[chris69]

I like the self testing self inflating you just got to to do a self check on them weigh the canister so its within the weigh blow it up manually check for leaks all good if the canister is low 35bucks for a new canister and you spray them with something before you replace them then they don't corrode or get rusty.

[Dignity]

I also self test, as Chris69n says, spray the cylinders when new, I use a lanolin spray and let them dry over a number of days and they have lasted many, many years. In fact I buy new jackets every 5 years as to get them tested by the manufacturers after 5 years is about the same price as a new jacket. I've thought of auto inflating ones but always worries about them inflating if they get wet which happens occasionally so I've stuck to manual, just have to check where the pull tag is every time I use them before I cross the bar.

[NAGG]

I now buy a new manual inflating jacket every year & throw / give away the oldest (4 years) - I service mine annually

With the cost of a new canister - you might as well buy a new jacket ..... I also find that jackets start to get a bit tattered after 4 years ( I always wear a jacket when solo) ....... so an annual $80 -$100 spend to me is worth it .

I do have a full on zippered jacket that I will use on a dodgy bar if solo .

Chris

[rayken1938]

In Qld the yearly test is due a year of manufacture NOT the date of purchase as friendly fisheries officer pointed out at a recent seminar.. With the shipping delays from China they can be quite old before they hit the shops.
Cheers Ray

[Dignity]

In Qld the yearly test is due a year of manufacture NOT the date of purchase as friendly fisheries officer pointed out at a recent seminar.. With the shipping delays from China they can be quite old before they hit the shops.
Cheers Ray

Interesting, what I found is that the rules snd regs can be a little loose as servicing is based on the "manufacturer's " instructions. Mine say yearly from date of purchase, so that's what I do, if it is date of manufacture then the authorities need to make it clear either that or I've misread the rules.

https://www.msq.qld.gov.au/Safety/Life-jackets.aspx

[stevej]

Dealer here charges 25 a jacket to test and stamp
I just got them done with the annual boat service and out the receipts in a snap lock back in my safety gear bag

saved having to have any conversation with maritime about servicing and self v manufacturer date arguments

Off shore, rough weather and moving a proper pfd. At anchor drifting fishing the self inflating went on
you don’t want to be in the water for hours in a self inflating a proper pfd is more rugged and comfortable when in the water

[bluefin59]

When I was watersking we had wetsuit with built in PFD so you just layed back and was comfortable and had you in the right position, I just don’t think I could trust an inflatable as they are a bit flimsy if I went overboard at sea so a proper fitted PFD is my go to unless it became law to wear one full time like other states then I guess an inflatable would have to do

[NAGG]

Anaconda have SEAK manual inflating jackets for $50 (Black Friday special)

Chris

[chris69]

Anaconda here i come ill by another one.

[Dignity]

Dealer here charges 25 a jacket to test and stamp
I just got them done with the annual boat service and out the receipts in a snap lock back in my safety gear bag

saved having to have any conversation with maritime about servicing and self v manufacturer date arguments

Off shore, rough weather and moving a proper pfd. At anchor drifting fishing the self inflating went on
you don’t want to be in the water for hours in a self inflating a proper pfd is more rugged and comfortable when in the water

That's not too bad a price, doesn't include a new cylinder I would think. I keep photos of when I weigh the cylinders etc. I have a template including the photos based on the manufacturer's instructions which when completed is kept in a zip lock bag on the boat. My dearest cost is the little green tabs that need to be replaced, about $2.59 per pfd.