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Did not want to hijack Gansetts post about wearing lifejackets and I hope EVERYONE reads his post....
I was looking for some suggestions on some auto inflatable pfd's.
I see were Cabelas has their Tournament ZX 4000 on sale for $119....is there one you guys would recommend over another and what should I be looking for or staying away from?
Thanks in advance!
I'm interested in this to.
After owning one for all of two weeks, I am far from an expert. Academy has/had the Onyx auto/manual on sale for $69. The reviews seem good. Fortunately, I have not had the opportunity to test it for inflation!!
I have the BPS version approximately $99.00 on sale. I have not had to use it, so don't know anything except, it is so comfortable you don't know you have it on.
I would recommend one with HIT......hydrostatic inflation. It requires a certain amount of water pressure to inflate it.....meaning you can fish in the rain and it will not inflate. Most HIT PFD's require it to be immersed under 4 inches of water to inflate. Plus you can also pull the cord to inflate.
Regards
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ThanksQuote:
Originally Posted by Alphahawk
This is exactly the type of info I am looking for!!
I have the Cabelas tournament series that are several years old. I have never had them inflate in rain or heavy dew yet. Also haven't had to use them, but are comfortable and not restrictive in the least. Never considered the accidental inflation in the rain issue until Alpha mentioned it. Ifn it's raining that hard, I might need a life preserver!
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I've got the Cabelas guidewear 3500. It sat in a 2" rain Saturday and never inflated. They are comfortable as well.
I have the BPS version that is currently on sale for $79.99 and love it.
I have that Bass Pro one too. I bought it because of being cheaper and very light weight. Thought I would wear it more. Have tried it a couple of times but it seems too small when I put on my big jackets, plus I am 235lbs. I am thinking it will be good in the summer.Quote:
Originally Posted by volfan411
I also have an older Mustang one that I have had for 10+ years and rarely wear. It is a bigger and heavier one. It still shows the bottle tube as green. I keep thinking it will expire someday and turn red but never has. Am I wrong on this? Should I get a new replacement bottle even though it is still green? Sorry for the hijack question.
I have an older BPS automatic as well but something about the weight of the jacket and the folded collar in back really bothers my neck within about an hour.
I'm looking for something with a little more comfortable neck in the back.
No inflatable for me. Just one/two/three more things that could fail when I need them the most.
Regular old foam vest. Got me one that fits. Gives padding should I hit the steering wheel or go over the gunwale. It never fails to float. No bobbin or cartridge to fail. Never open the rod box and find it "inflated" and not wear it. A treble hook won't hurt it etc.
Just can't make myself get an inflatable.
I own 6 Cabelas 3500 series inflatables. I wear them in rain, snow, ice, freezing splash, you name it. I've never had one go off as a result of being wet due to moisture or rain.
I was fishing a tournament last year in Alpena with Skillet007. A storm came up in the last hour of the tournament. We actually took a rouge 7 footer over the back of the boat. After we hit the channel for weigh in, the storm dumped over an inch of rain in less than 20 minutes. I was still wearing my life jacket when we jumped in the truck after getting everything tied down. And it did NOT inflate due to being wet.
One thing to keep in mind. Check your state regulations in regards to inflatable life preservers. Some states (like Michigan) have since updated their code book to allow inflatables to count as a PFD if it is NOT being worn. I do know that some backwards places have YET to follow the federal guidelines and still require the wearing of an inflatable for it to count as a PFD on board.
Federal law (USCG) simply goes by classification (Type I, II, or III) and all new inflatable are labeled as such. State law can be more stringent and some of them "specifically" state that they must be worn to count. Keep in mind that USCG cannot enforce state laws so they will only go by federal law which allows them to count towards your needed total.
Let me give you guys a little advice...do not leave your auto inflate pfd in hour vehicle with windows rolled up on a hot day...it will inflate...had two in my truck and last August when I opened up the truck they both were inflated...not a big deal, but had to deflate and replace the little CO2 inflater....
See, this is my problem with inflatables. How do you know they are going to work? How can you say one is better than any other one? I guess it's just a crap shoot based on trust? If you've had one for several seasons, to me, it would be wise to just jump in the lake to see if it is still functional, instead of just relying on blind faith. You can always re-charge the vest and testing like this, every few years, should give you enough confidence. JMO! :)
I wear my old SOSpenders still. Keep it up to date on the re-arm. Had one go off in the rod locker one year, never in a rain storm. Don't think it would be that easy for rain to activate it the way they are made. Time and humidity will disintegrate the salt pellet in this style. Maintenance required, but even foam life jackets need to be recycled now and then. Read up on them. Some guys still have really old ones that they are relying on, poor move. Get something good, comfortable and usable, and keep it that way. I, too, am in the market for another vest. Won't be a SOSpenders tho since they are off the market. Maybe the HIT.
This was exactly my feeling, and why I put off buying one. I also thought of the "test it" theory. Then I wondered if I would trust the replacement. Where does it end? I have air bags, but am hesitant to test them. What finally made me pull the trigger is this, I WILL wear the inflatable. I, at least so far, will not wear the traditional. Even at 50-50, I have increased my odds. Yes, I am hard headed!Quote:
Originally Posted by Crestliner08
Three different types
1) manual/ripcord--what happens if you hit your head while failing out.
2) dissolvable pill--this is the one you hear people setting off in lockers/hot vehicles/in the rain
3)Hydrostatic--the best to get.
I think the recommendation is to rearm after 3 years if the device does not inflate.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tncrappiebass
I have the Cabelas 3500 inflatable vest and it has a tube that allows you to blow it up by mouth to test it or to add air to it if you're in the water for an extended period of time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Crestliner08
Do you really believe that if you are accidentally thrown overboard, that you will have the presence of mind to blow up your life jacket by mouth? Good luck with that. Seconds count. JMO. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by lowe rider
I think the value here is in being able to "top it off" if necessary during a long time in water. From my experiences (plural) NO you probably won't have a lot of time or presence of mind to react the best.
I have 2 Onyx and 2 BPS. My son and I were fishing the Illinois River for sauger and walleye welllll Ikeep my boat in the garage and normaly dont pull the plug on it. This day was not normal. Got to our spot and started pulling cranks,we usually pull 1/4 -1/2 mile .When we got about 200 yards into our 2nd pull my son says Dad were taking on water !OK put the plug in son. HE did or so we thought .Turn on bilge get on plane drain water fish some more.Weelllll He plugged the live well drain pretty soon . DAD more water this time worse got all the way into front storage.Let me tell you not alot of storage in my boat to start with even less when 2 Automatic PFD's (we had ours on) deploy. The boy said "Dad something just Exploded!" THEY WORK LOL.Had to share :Rofl
no no no it's auto inflate,the valve is for testing to make sure it holds air and to add air if your in the water for too long.Quote:
Originally Posted by Crestliner08
I just bought this 'jacket', glad to see it got at least one recommendation on here.Quote:
Originally Posted by ET Fish
~J. Babcock
I have went through a few of them over the years but for my last one I finally just spent the money on a Mustang with HIT technology. While they are expensive I reasoned that with all the money I have spend of fishing "gear" over the years by comparison it was a small amount considering. Especially when you look at the importance of it. A new fishing rod never saved anyone's life.