I always wear a vest - it's one of the few good habits I have. For coastal during the day, I wouldn't worry about the harness as they just add bulk. Find the lightest certified vest you can - the cheaper ones are frequently lighter. It won't keep you on board, will provide some flotation until someone (hopefully) picks you up and sets a good example for younger folk.
John Sent from my iPad > On Dec 28, 2013, at 12:05 AM, M Bod <drbod...@accesswave.ca> wrote: > > Apparently I've got a few $ coming for Xmas gift to address (a small bit of) > my new boat needs. > I thought it would be prudent to get a couple of comfortable inflatable life > vests. > Given my sailing over the last 2 yrs has all been in the Halifax harbor and > never in inclement weather, I've never felt a need to wear a vest. > I'm hoping to stretch a little further with the new boat, and therefore the > thinking that a life vest might be useful. > Given I've never worn one I'm a complete newb! > Any suggestions? > Should I bump up to a harness version just to have it if needed? I don't do a > lot of solo sailing - but I do a lot of sailing with 4 kids on the boat who > would be extremely hard pressed to come back for me if I was bobbing in the > water off the stern! > > What about automatic vs manual? > Preferred brand? > > I'm guessing you get what you pay for, and I realize that an uncomfortable > vest is unlikely to get worn, and therefore be worthless, but I'm also not > expecting to head out into heavy conditions. I could just go with my current > PFD if things turn a bit hairy. > But seems my mom likes the idea of keeping my head above water! So what do > you pick? between a $100 Mustang vest, a $130 PLASTIMO inflatable > vest/harness or a $2-400 Mustang/Spinlock vest/harness. > > Not planning to spend $400 - more the $100-150 range. > > Last - are the auto inflators easily maintained? Or am I buying $35-65 kits > every yr to keep vest functional? > > Thanks in advance for the advice. > > Mark > _______________________________________________ > This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album > http://www.cncphotoalbum.com > CnC-List@cnc-list.com _______________________________________________ This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album http://www.cncphotoalbum.com CnC-List@cnc-list.com
