Self inflating PFDs

[noelH]

Once the temperatures are on the warm side I prefer the self inflating type of PFD.  But I set mine to manual inflate mode.  Cannot swim worth poo when they are inflated.  Thinking better to swim and pull the inflate cord if really needed. Or if option is available just use the mount tube and partially inflate.

One of units has the original CO2 canister (2016).  Way past time to replace.  So I pulled the cord. Boom it inflated as it should.  Oh well, could of just ignored it for another season.  At least I didn't need to inflate by mouth to check integrity of the unit.

Personal preference for pfd are the old fashioned style.  Float coat in cold conditions, Baltic Surf and Turf vest for cool conditions.  Double duty PFDs. Outerwear to keep you warm and dry. Hopefully never needed for their other duty.

[Brian N.]

I like my WM self-inflating vest for the warmer days. Purchased mine about 5 years ago, so not sure if a new cartridge is needed. For the kayak I use the "vest" style PFD's. I agree that swimming is difficult with a vest on. During a Scout canoe trip my son (a trained life guard) removed his vest before jumping in to rescue a scout who flipped out and was struggling. Fortunately he was able to pull the boy to a nearby dock.

[Wolverine]

I wear an auto inflating pfd while sailing. Never no when you're going to bang your head and go overboard.  For kayaking, I wear a manual inflating. Chances of knocking myself out are slim.

[Captain Kidd]

My manual inflating pfd has some age on it. Guess I need to inflate to see if it's good and replace cartridge.

[Dave Scobie]

For the inflating PFDs you don't check the bladder integrity with the CO2 inflation mechanism. You have to inflate with the manual/human tube and see if bladder holds pressure air for 24 hours. Specifics are in the PFD manual.

The bobbin for the auto inflating vests needs checking and it is stamped with an expiration date.  Replacement bobbins can be found but be careful and check their expiration date as I've seen entire Marine store displays of bobbins that are out of date on the shelf.

[Riley Smith]

Have there been cases of those self-inflating vests activate upon getting wet? AND Yes, the manual belt type I use sometime is VERY bulky when inflated. I prefer mobility because I do swim, and very well. What I'm saying is I opt for mobility in the case I hit the water instead of becoming a cork. Hey, whatever blows your dress up! And Dale is right. A test in the spring is a good thing. I'm working on the pool right now and that test will be done when I get THAT ready. The belt type is out of the way almost always but I normally deflate it some to put it over my head. Very difficult to swim with it over your head but you can hang on for days. I hope it never comes to that!

[Frank B.]

I single hand a lot and have promised my smarter half I will wear one of my two auto inflates when doing so.  One is very lightweight and I can stand (barely) wearing it in the hotter weather.  The other is much heavier with a D ring to attach a safety line, mostly used in cold weather.  I want them to auto inflate in case the boom knocks me over or something of that nature. As far as swimming, with a very tricky back subject to bulging disk I never know what will actually work when I hit the water, so at least I'll float.

[noelH]

I single hand sail. Always put on the harness and tether before casting off.  Only one pad eye to hook into, but in a good location right at the threshold of the companionway. Tether and PFD are a bit like seatbelts in a vehicle. Hope is never having a need for either.  But things happen.  Don't know if they even had inflatable back in the '80s.  Use to sea kayak the Apostle Islands back then. Warm days never wore a pfd.  Too warm upper body. Damp cold below the spray skirt. Worse of both conditions. My "excuse".  If there is any breeze and I fall out of the kayak it is good-by kayak.  Did tether the paddle to the boat.  But even that is not 100% keeping you connected. Decades ago while surf kayaking down at Caberte the tether broke while I was being rolled in the whitewater. Goodby kayak. But I did have a paddle.

Friend fell overboard on a relatively gentle day sailing singlehanded. Too long a tether. Large sailboat. About drowned himself being slowly dragged until he more or less righted himself and the boat headed up wind and more or less heaved to.  Still was in a situation. Hard effort to finally pull himself aboard.

That event had me thinking about adding a floating drag, life line.  Decades ago there was a small boat sailor that lived on Madeline Is. The story told to me is.  He built his own boats, disliked the "yachties", kept to himself. Use to have a line floating off the stern. One day he took off sailing. They found his boat without a line a long, long way to the east. No body on board.  He decided to take one last sail.

[Krusen]

Drag lines should have a bungee to the tiller, and pull the tiller hard over when pulled.

The vessel must be dead in the water for you to have any chance of pulling yourself back to it.  In addition, if under power, the vessel will circle until it runs out of fuel, keeping it near you, even if moving too fast to pull up to it.

Dealing with no fuel, but back on board is the better problem, you have time to work out the best option, and possibly make a mayday radio call.

On a suitable day, warm water, anchored, some wind and waves, make a test.

It is essential that you have another person on board, with sailing skills.

Throw your trailing line, at least 50 feet long, overboard, take a couple of turns on your largest winch, and secure the end to a cleat.

Put on your PFD and enter the water, secure the trailing line to the PFD, and swim to the end of the line.
Inflate the PFD.

Have your friend time how long it takes you to swim back to the vessel with the PFD inflated, into just some wind driven waves.

Do not cheat by swimming in the wind shadow of your vessel!

You will be convinced that stopping the vessel by some means is essential.  The turns on the winch is in case you have trouble swimming into the waves with a PFD.

I did most of my non racing sailing solo, and had several tricks to deal with man overboard, including running the drag line OVER the stern rail, and under the tiller pilot shaft, then to the tiller, so the pilot mechanically disconnected   if the line was pulled.

Krusen

[Charles Brennan]

Agree strongly with Krusen on the need for trailing lines.
Think they should be longer.  At 6 knots, you are traveling 10 feet per second, so a 50 foot line could really be thought of as a 5 second line.  A second to go overboard from the deck to the water, a second or two, under water struggling to the surface, a second or two to orient yourself above water and you are just in time to watch the end of your 50 foot trail line slip just past your grasp.   

When I sailed offshore a lot, I used to use a 10-second line on Urchin or a 100 foot polypropylene line. I attached it to the leeward side stern cleat, then looped it under the tiller and let it trail off the stern, still on the leeward side.
If going over, then when you grab the line, your body weight pulls the tiller to leeward and turns the hull into the  wind and effectively stalls it.

Had three guys on my sailboat many years ago and we were playing with "what if" scenarios when a mere exercise, horrifically turned into a Real Life Rescue!    
Discovered exactly how useless a 20 foot stern line (a two-second line) was out there in the Cold, Cruel, Real World and modified things, accordingly.  We also added a water ski tow float to the end for something to get a good grasp on, when line is playing out (rapidly!) between your fingers and you're having difficulty getting a good grip on the line, since you're (literally) getting dragged through the water.

Here's the line attached to a sea sled with yours truly 100 feet behind Urchin.
The Sea Sled:
You cannot view this attachment.

I like Norm's idea about using a bungee from the tiller to the line, but not sure I'd trust it in extreme conditions.
 
One guy's opinion,
Charles Brennan

[noelH]

One issue even with a longer line is finding it in heavy seas. A highly visible color would help. Last season or couple seasons ago I lost my sun bleached, basically dirty off whitish tan Tilley. Had to take my eye off it for a second. Gone.  I was heaved to putting in a reef. Also, need to factor in a diameter large enough to hold onto when the hands are totally chilled.

L. Superior warm water is maybe +20C surface water for 100 meters offshore maybe in August. Pushed to the onshore side by very light wind.  Assuming no churn from heavier winds. And assuming days of no wind for the surface water to warm. Otherwise subtract ~5C.  +30C air temp. and putting on a 3/2 full wetsuit.  People on the beach are wondering what is wrong with us.  Then they wonder even more why we haven't stripped off the wetsuit when we are done for the day.  First missed jibe or jump feels nice.  Then the cold slowly breaks you down.  Miss the 3Ms(Maui,Margarita,MoonBeach) where board shorts and sun guard are all you need. Even the warm waters of Isla de Margarita get cold if you spend too much time in it. 3 hr unplanned swim home once. +30C air, +25C water. Had on a 1.5mm neoprene vest to deal with water impact. Takes the sting out of hitting the water at speed or from too high an altitude.  I was totally chilled by the time I reached land.

Basically if you go overboard in L. Superior you are probably going to die. As L. Superior windsurfers it's a risk we all realize and understand the consequences. The cold water is unforgiving. Unfortunately too many tourist don't give enough thought to the risk and the potential consequences. Most of sea kayakers that have died up here have died close to shore. Kiter within a mile of Madeline almost died. Had trouble self launching after dropping his kite. Hypothermia set in. Rumors are he wasn't wearing a wetsuit. Few years ago outside of the Washburn Marina a sailor fell off the foredeck of his sailboat. Not sure if he injured himself in the fall.  Or the fall was caused by a medical incident. He died. Sad thing was the conditions were not bad. His wife was with him but unable or incapable of assisting him back on board.

[Norm L.]

A very good thread. Dave S was right on about the pieces. After a few years one should really inflate the vest and  water test it and let it sit a day. Dry rot or abrasion can happen.

One time you might want to test the CO2 just to see what happens. Cartridges are cheap and available all over for important things like paint ball guns and soda chargers.