Inflatable PFD vs. Foam

[slothman]

I am looking to get a new PFD for fishing. I am typically running Lake of the Ozarks by myself and it does get pretty rough out there. What are your thoughts on the inflatable PFDs vs the traditional non-inflatable. The inflatables are much more expensive.

Typically, I wear mine when running down the lake (always) and take it off when fishing (usually). 

 

I'd love to hear all the pros and cons for both options. Do you like your inflatable? Hate it? The inflatable ones do deploy if you are thrown out and are unconscious right?

[fishinwrench]

I still use the old style 100mph vest, but if I was showing up at tournaments I'd have to own a Mustang just so I wouldn't feel inferior.  

I think I feel safer in the old school vests. And since I intend to never need it it's hard to shell out the bucks for an inflatable. 

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

2 hours ago, slothman said:

 

I'd love to hear all the pros and cons for both options. Do you like your inflatable? Hate it? The inflatable ones do deploy if you are thrown out and are unconscious right?

Last year on FLW tour John Cox and his camera guy got thrown from the boat and neither one of their inflatable PFD's inflated like they were suppose to. 

[Al Agnew]

Nope, I don't think I'd depend upon the inflatables if I was in rough, cold water when you absolutely need a dependable life jacket.

[MOPanfisher]

I have used both and have confidence in both.  Well at least the good inflatables, I really want to buy a cheaper inflatable but I don't intend to ever need it unless unconscious and then it dang well better work.  We have $250 Mustangs at work and they are fabulous, comfortable, and you quickly forget you have them on.  The regular ones you never quite forget about them if you are wearing them.  There are different types of inflatables, or at least there used to be, ones that were manual only (pull the string), tablet activated ones with an alka-seltzer type tablet that dissolved and activated the vest, and the most common is the hydrostatic, it has essentially a pressure switch to activate it, supposed to take about 4 inches of water to trigger it, and has a manual backup.  We have tested them during our boat operator training, and never had one fail yet.  We were using them because the inflating mechanism had expired and we were going to replace it anyway so why not see if it works.  regular PFD has around 15 lbs of buoyancy and the inflatables have around 30.  I wish I had a Mustang for my personal use, but I am still just to dang stingy to buy one.  The re-arming kit for our Mustangs is about $50, not a lot of money but something to think about as you will need to replace them periodically.

[dtrs5kprs]

Traditional PFDs are kind of like stainless S&W 357s. Bulky but reliable. If you put one on and buckle it up correctly it will do its job.

In addition to the failure to inflate issue, I have also seen several that inflated when they weren't supposed to. Mostly that was a heavy rain problem. Might not be an issue with the $250 number, but it's never a problem with a foam one.

[moguy1973]

When I bought my boat I went out and got two BPS inflatable vests when they were on sale during the Spring Classic sale for $80 each.  Then West Marine had theirs on sale for $50 not long ago so I bought 2 more in case I have passengers on the boat with me.  Well, then I realized that if I ever wanted to go swimming the inflatables aren't going to work to sit on in the water because they are pretty much useless afterwards if you jump in the water with them on unless you have a recharge kit, and those aren't cheap.  So I bought 2 regular foam vests for swimming. 

I have also heard of the inflatable going off on their own, in fact a buddy of mine had one go off while it was in the back of his kayak when we were on the Meramec once, and then he had another go off inside his boat while it sat in his yard.

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

I read somewhere a while back that You still need to carry a regular coast guard approved PFD in your boat to be legal.  Just having a few inflatables for everyone onboard isn't considered adequate 

[MOPanfisher]

I believe the most recent generation of inflatables have been reclassified as type III, which makes them legal. 

[Plastic_worm]

Regular in boats, when I wear my waders, winter and in rivers.  I have an manual inflatable for my kayak, when I'm in really shallow water and for summer.    

The story from the FLW event where John Cox's pfd didn't inflate. 

http://www.scout.com/outdoors/wired2fish/story/1532863-bass-boat-wreck-in-smith-lake-flw-tour-event