Inflatable Life Vest Recommendations

Onyx Outdoor 24 Automatic/Manual Inflatable Life Jacket - $99

I got this in May and really like it. I forget it is on. It can either be set to go off automatically when it gets wet or be set one manual mode so you have to pull a ripcord.

PFD for kayak fishing

^There's a link to a thread from April that discusses several different inflatable PFD options. Hope it helps.

A couple of things to consider.

I bought one that was Automatic/Manual inflating. I left it in one of the dry storage compartments on my boat. It rained really hard one day and the thing inflated inside the dry box. There was no water in the dry box and the vest wasn't laying on the bottom of the box. It apparently inflated due to the high humidity created by the rain. Googled and it appears to be a fairly common occurrence. The next one I buy will be manual inflation only. I know that takes away a safety feature, should I be knocked out when going over the side, but here's my thinking. High likelihood I could accidentally fall in. Low likelihood that includes being knocked out.

Also, Coast Guard regs state that an inflatable PFD only counts as one of your required PFDs if it is being worn. So if one of your passengers chooses to not wear the inflatable, there must be a non-inflatable PFD on board to count as their required life jacket. You may know this already but a lot of people are unaware of this requirement. I know it's unlikely you will ever run into the CG in a mud boat, but Fish and Game agencies typically mimic CG requirements.

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High likelihood I could accidentally fall in. Low likelihood that includes being knocked out.

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And that low likelihood is exactly when you would need auto inflation. Hell, what’s the chance you will ever even need a PFD to serve its purpose? Very small but in that moment you absolutely need it. Can’t say I recommend your philosophy. Get a better beat that won’t inflate due to humidity. Is your life potentially not worth the extra $100?

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onyx vests have a funky velcro. If you paddle, you’ll wear a line on your shirt right where the vest meets your shoulder. Reviews online state as much.

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This. I have an Onyx but the velcro setup will rub a line on your shirt when casting. Why couldn’t they put the soft side facing towards the body??

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And that low likelihood is exactly when you would need auto inflation. Hell, what’s the chance you will ever even need a PFD to serve its purpose? Very small but in that moment you absolutely need it. Can’t say I recommend your philosophy. Get a better beat that won’t inflate due to humidity. Is your life potentially not worth the extra $100?

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Yeah I hear what you're saying, and I'm not "recommending" anyone else adopt this "philosophy". That's why I said it was something to "consider". But in defense of my personal philosophy, if I'm going to allow for all low likelihood scenarios, I would never set foot in a boat to begin with. The water is not a forgiving environment.

So following my personal philosophy, I'm ALWAYS wearing a PFD that can be manually inflated if needed. As opposed to the vast majority of boaters that don't wear any PFD, and would have to dig in a cabinet to even access one. I think that qualifies it as a relatively good philosophy. Which isn't far from your own that you posted in another thread.

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I have an inflatable. Usually keep it on manual unless going in a power boat.

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I realize you were referring to using it in a kayak, but there is two ways to look at that. I'm in a 22ft CC with lots of freeboard. Much less likelihood of ending up in the water than if I'm in a kayak. And even though there's less potential for getting knocked out in a kayak, what if you are hit by a dumbass in a 22ft CC that has his head up his arse! Or an idiot on a jet ski? Low likelihood, but very possible. Now that I think of it, I think I could "recommend" my philosophy before I could your own.

Also, this was not a cheap inflatable. I'm sure they make better stuff, if you're willing to pay for it, but Mustang is at least respectable quality.

Anyway, the reason I brought the manual thing up to begin with, is that the OP said these were for a mudboat. So I wasn't sure if he was planning on leaving them in the boat, in the marsh humidity. So I wanted to warn him about the humidity issue so he didn't show up to go hunting only to find a boat full of inflated pfds.

I did check the LDWF regs and they don't appear to have the requirement for wearing the inflatable for it to count as one of your life jackets. It does say a kayak has to have a Type I, II,or III PFD for each occupant. I think an inflatable is a Type V. But then there's some verbiage (not on LDWF) that seems to indicate the Type V covers the Type I, II and III? Not totally clear from some of the stuff I've read. I have plenty of room, so I pack the kitchen sink. No worries then.

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This. I have an Onyx but the velcro setup will rub a line on your shirt when casting. Why couldn’t they put the soft side facing towards the body??

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Not sure. It’s not a deal breaker for me. I buy those World Wide Sportsman LS shirts from Bass Pro to wear on the yak. They’re light and wick moisture and keep me nice and cool. I just wear the same two shirts every time I go out.