I'm a firm believer in wearing my PFD anytime I'm on the water, no exceptions. I use the standard vest type now, but am considering going to an inflatable.

Which type of PFD do you use, standard vest type or inflatable? If inflatable, auto or manual?

Any preferred brands? Any bad experiences?

Thanks for any info you can share.

Standard, shorter canoe style, women's version, don't remember the brand without going to the garage.

Wish they came in a few more colors- husbands, sons and daughters are all the same color. Have to watch for that one small pfd that definitely won't fit my husband.

Standard PFD. Our canoeing ones are extra sports but a low profile zip up the front model that is no longer made. My wife’s has a lip balm in a holder on the zipper so we can tell them apart. My Zaverel paddle has a little duct tape on it so we can tell those apart.

Around the sailing community, I see a lot of Mustang inflatables and a wide variety of standard ones. Kokotat, IIRC, makes a hybrid but I didn’t like the way it fit me. It has enough floatation for most situatiosn but you can activate the inflatable portion if conditions warrant it.

My wife and I use standard PFDs. I have an NRS brand and I forget what brand she has, but it's one designed for women. We both tried lots on one year at Canoecopia. And I mean lots! Every brand and every model of every brand. The ones we thought we would get by catalog shopping just didn't fit us well. Glad to have had the opportunity at Copia to try them on.

In the annual Chicago to Mackinac Yacht Race a sailor, Jon Santarelli, washed overboard with an inflatable and it did not inflate and he drowned. He was reported to be very experienced and a triathlon competitor.

billconner: "In the annual Chicago to Mackinac Yacht Race a sailor, Jon Santarelli, washed overboard with an inflatable and it did not inflate and he drowned. He was reported to be very experienced and a triathlon competitor. "

Yes the thought has occasionally crossed my mind that it might not inflate.

But if it's good enough for Coast Gaurd its good enough for me. I use top shelf however, just like Coast Guard, Mustang hydrostatic self inflatable.

Perhaps the unfortunate incident above had an inflatable which required manual operation (pull cord)? Entirely possible that the cord was tangled or even dry rotted and failed.

For me it is not a hard decision. I run hot and a regular PFD would cause me to self combust and I would end up taking it off. Bulky, hot and uncomfortable torture device which I would be loathe to adorn.

Mustang hydrostatic inflatable PFD.......you literally don't even know you have it on. I have started to set up camp several times still wearing it.

The downside is cost. They will run around $200. Add in a replacement CO2 cartridge and it bumps the price to $300. The weight of the replacement cartridge is a bit more than I would like. You can take your chances, as I did, thinking you will not need a replacement, but I have had 3 inflation events.

Once when i rolled my boat in a bay on Lake Superior in Isle Royale after breaking off a big pike. Do not put your solo boat sideways to a big fish and pull with all your might on your rod with 20lb line. If it breaks you just might end up in the water.

The second inflation event happened while I was having a shore lunch. Stooped over on a slick rock leading into deep water, the slow slide was irreversible. I ended up dog paddling clawing at the smooth bank uttering unmentionables as my PFD did its job (BLOOF!). A YouTube video which doubtless would of went viral had it been caught on video. It must have been hilarious to watch. Not funny at the time ;-)

And lastly do not toss your inflatable any distance, even a short little pitch. The resulting inflation will cause you to be very startled.

If you do not have a replacement cartridge then you must wear the bright yellow horse collar but only partially inflated. The manual inflation stem is easily acquired and just a few breaths, surprisingly few, will get you back into the ballgame.

So yes there are some potentially significant drawbacks........but even with the negatives the decision is not even close for me.

billconner: "In the annual Chicago to Mackinac Yacht Race a sailor, Jon Santarelli, washed overboard with an inflatable and it did not inflate and he drowned. He was reported to be very experienced and a triathlon competitor. "

Very sad.
I have also had the thought that a self inflating one may fail to inflate as you have mentioned. But on the flipside, they make a lot of models that are manual pull-to-inflate only too, so I don't know. I'm just trying to find something that is a little more comfortable and not as hot as what I have. Thanks for your comments.

mastertangler: "
For me it is not a hard decision. I run hot and a regular PFD would cause me to self combust and I would end up taking it off. "

Thanks for your input MT, I appreciate it.
I'm in the same boat as far as being too hot all the time. But, to combat the sun and bugs I always wear a long sleeved shirt which doesn't help.
My old PFD's had many vertical chambers (foam pads), 3-4 per each side in front and 6-8 across the back. Those were very comfortable. All I can find now have one pad per side in the front and one large pad across the back. Hot, stiff and bulky. I'm just looking into my options trying to find something more comfortable.

I have a couple but, the one I always grab it my NRS Ninja.

Minimal material or straps to cause irritation when paddling therefore, there is never a reason not to wear it. I don't paddle without it.

The NRS in compact enough, I don't think an inflatable PFD would ogffer much advantage.

I tried a couple with more pockets but found them to be not as comfortable as my Ninja.

"Stohlquist edge" nothing bad to say about it!

OCDave: "I have a couple but, the one I always grab it my NRS Ninja.
"

murphylakejim: ""Stohlquist edge" nothing bad to say about it!"

Thanks guys, I will go check out those models.

bass pro mesh pfd 39.99
i have no reason to upgrade. happy w this one.

Standard PFD. The Seda brand was discontinued many years ago, but it remains my favorite for fit. The vertical foam strips conform to the torso in a way that solid panels do not. If I had known at the time that the company would go under, I would have bought a couple additional, but as it is, I now take extra good care of the 20+ year old vest.

I just wear a standard PFD - an MTI Fisherman with lots of pockets. It's a couple of less things to worry about vs. the inflatables.

I used an NRS Ion for two seasons. Very comfortable but a bit of a pain to take off & on at portages as it goes over the head and I always wear a hat with a wide brim. This season I switched to an Astral Men’s Ronny for the front zipper and better pockets (including one that fits my Garmin InReach perfectly). A bonus is since there is less flotation pads on the back panels on short portages I just leave my PFD on and the packs still fits well.

thebotanyguy:
"

I have two very similar to this. Mine are made by Stearns.
I really like them, too bad they don't fit anymore!! :-D

Thanks for your comments.

Just got a new Stohlquist. Looking forward to trying it out in less than two weeks.

Used to wear my O'Neil waterski life jacket, but that sucker is just too tight over regular clothes/coat etc...

Now I have an Onyx paddling vest. Haven't actually used it yet though, so stay tuned on a review.

MTI Solaris. I like the freedom of movement for paddling. Could use more pockets though.

Picked up the NRS Chinook this spring with my 20% off at REI. Used it about 6 times so far this year and so far so good. Comfortable and I like the pockets.

NRS Chinook is what I use. love it. Love the pockets.

Another vote for the NRS Chinook. I carry a compass, Spot Messenger, water knife, Whistle, signal mirror and first aid kit all in the pockets.

I took a couple of guys on one of our trips who had inflatables. They tipped shortly after pushing off and really struggled with the inflatables. They also forgot recharge kits and had to wear them the rest of the trip. I don't allow inflatables in our groups after that.

If you spend the time and money for a really good PFD you will find one that fits you perfectly, is not hot, and you can wear all day. . .without the risk of inflatables.

I have used a Cabela's model for the past 6-7 years. I'm about to purchase an Onyx A-33 Impulse inflatable once the new version hits retail stores. A new version came out in early July with a redesigned manual pull so it won't get snagged on anything as easily to reduce accidental discharges.

Stohlquist Women's Cruiser. I didn't actually expect to end up with a women's PFD (even though I am a woman), but after trying on about a dozen of them it was the best fit. I have a long torso and all these short torso PFDs for kayakers put too much flotation in the front and it gets in the way of paddling.

Standard PFD, a LL Bean Discovery. Very comfortable. (not sure what price is now, that's an older photo...but prob about 90 bucks.)

zski: "bass pro mesh pfd 39.99
i have no reason to upgrade. happy w this one."

Ditto. Couple big pockets and some smaller ones. Works great for me.

Astral Ronny. I like the lack of bulk on the back as previously mentioned (works well with seat backs, too).

Mustang hydrostatic self inflatable, with a reload.

It is all about fit. I now wear my wife's NRS Siren PFD. She had some issues with it and I offered to trade just to let her try my NRS Chinook. I love this thing! The boys asked me if I intended to sleep in it. I asked them if they thought it looked okay for church....

^ that's pretty funny!

Yeah, when something is fits well/feels good like that, it's hard to understand the "pfd's are uncomfortable & restricting so I don't wear one" rationale.

During shoulder season I wear a Seda (like thebotanyguy) and during warm weather I wear an Onyx inflatable. I chose not to get an auto-inflate cause I don't need it going off when it shouldn't.

OldTripper: "

thebotanyguy:
"

I have two very similar to this. Mine are made by Stearns.
I really like them, too bad they don't fit anymore!! :-D


Thanks for your comments."

Sure miss those old SEDA's, most comfortable canoeing PFD's made, IMHO? Unfortunately, my wife and I have both outgrown ours. I found a couple of those similar Stearns, but they were a bit too short. Both I had someone sew in nylon in the shoulders to lengthen them. Love this PFD even if it does get a bit warm in the summer.

In the winter, I have a Mustang PFD that's similar to a synthetic insulated vest. VERY comfy if it's not too hot outside. Of course NONE of these PFD's are made any longer and most are short-waisted for kayakers. Those of us with long torsos whom kneel in a canoe seem to have to be content to wear one resembling a bra? That, or hunt online for these old PFD's. If anyone out there knows of a newer model that's long, please let me know!

NRS Ninja. Always worn while paddling. The triangle helps arm crossover while paddling.