Author Topic: Renewing the pfd question  (Read 17828 times)

spirit4earth

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Re: Renewing the pfd question
« Reply #15 on: April 18, 2015, 02:27:50 AM »
The folks at MTI are right around the corner from me. Long time sponsors of the CCBC. They've been very generous, great people. I have four of the belt packs. I had one of the Fluid IIs before they hit the streets. I was at the office/warehouse and Lily asked me to check it out for her. I like the leaner profile and its a stout well padded belt. I hook my leash to the carabiner for cruising, distance, etc. The pocket is a little small, keeps it sleek I guess. Good enough for a key credit card and license...what more do you need? Oh...and the fluorescent orange safety whistle that's in the pocket.

All their stuff is good quality, I've tried most of it on. If you look at their website you'll see yours truly carrying my board into the water, and that's my wife's smiling face in the red PFD in the middle, and all of the boards shown are mine. We helped do a photoshoot with some family and friends. We pulled the cord on a bunch of the fluids, 6 or 7 people, pretty easy on, and they do have a manual inflation tube.
https://www.mtiadventurewear.com/

I do have to admit that unless I'm in sketchy conditions the cartridge isn't even engaged. I put it in and make sure its ready to go though if I am.

Could you ask them to include a rearm kit with the Fluid 2?  Or at least sell the pins separately so we can get our cartridges at a fair price at a bike shop?  I know there's 'no price for safety', but I might buy a beltpack with a more reasonably priced rearm kit, like the Stohlquist Contour.

Ichabod Spoonbill

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Renewing the pfd question
« Reply #16 on: April 18, 2015, 06:58:33 AM »
I was doing a paddling event last year in the Hudson and a couple of kayakers questioned whether I was actually wearing a PFD or not. I had my belt PFD on, which many of them had never seen.

I actually like to wear a traditional PFD when the water is cold, like now. It keeps you out of the water more. It's also the law, I think until May sometime, I gotta look that up.
« Last Edit: April 18, 2015, 07:15:03 AM by Ichabod Spoonbill »
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RichH

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Re: Renewing the pfd question
« Reply #17 on: April 18, 2015, 07:29:46 AM »
I use fishing line to replace the pin. Works fine.


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esskay1000

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Re: Renewing the pfd question
« Reply #18 on: April 18, 2015, 07:40:24 AM »
I use fishing line to replace the pin. Works fine.


Rich

Wow, never thought of that.  Monofilament?  I'm just thinkin that it's designed to be tough to break, what pound test?
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Re: Renewing the pfd question
« Reply #19 on: April 18, 2015, 08:02:27 AM »
Hey Bob, talk to those people about combining a camelback with their Fluid IIs. I've done it for myself, but that would be a pack I'd buy. They could park it on top of a belt camelbak.
Hey Bill, for a belt PFD to be CG "legal" doesn't it have to be worn in front (not that any of us do that.)  Is that a deterrent for companies like CamelBak combining the two worlds? I know its silly, but it has crossed my mind. 

I've been strapping my belt pack to my CamelBak fanny pack since the very first Round the Rock, and it works good, although any real time inflation of the PFD in an emergency would be deplorable. But, thats not why I'm wearing it. 
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spirit4earth

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Re: Renewing the pfd question
« Reply #20 on: April 18, 2015, 08:57:17 AM »
Hey Bob, talk to those people about combining a camelback with their Fluid IIs. I've done it for myself, but that would be a pack I'd buy. They could park it on top of a belt camelbak.
Hey Bill, for a belt PFD to be CG "legal" doesn't it have to be worn in front (not that any of us do that.)  Is that a deterrent for companies like CamelBak combining the two worlds? I know its silly, but it has crossed my mind. 

I've been strapping my belt pack to my CamelBak fanny pack since the very first Round the Rock, and it works good, although any real time inflation of the PFD in an emergency would be deplorable. But, thats not why I'm wearing it.

Which pfd do you have?

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Re: Renewing the pfd question
« Reply #21 on: April 18, 2015, 02:08:27 PM »
Hey Bob, talk to those people about combining a camelback with their Fluid IIs. I've done it for myself, but that would be a pack I'd buy. They could park it on top of a belt camelbak.
Hey Bill, for a belt PFD to be CG "legal" doesn't it have to be worn in front (not that any of us do that.)  Is that a deterrent for companies like CamelBak combining the two worlds? I know its silly, but it has crossed my mind. 

I've been strapping my belt pack to my CamelBak fanny pack since the very first Round the Rock, and it works good, although any real time inflation of the PFD in an emergency would be deplorable. But, thats not why I'm wearing it.

Which pfd do you have?

I have an older version of this one by West Marine:
http://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-marine--ultra-slim-manual-inflatable-belt-pack--15911308
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spirit4earth

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Re: Renewing the pfd question
« Reply #22 on: April 18, 2015, 02:11:45 PM »
I guess I'll have to decide----NC and SC lakes do require one to be at least on the board.

spirit4earth

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Re: Renewing the pfd question
« Reply #23 on: April 18, 2015, 02:14:09 PM »
The folks at MTI are right around the corner from me. Long time sponsors of the CCBC. They've been very generous, great people. I have four of the belt packs. I had one of the Fluid IIs before they hit the streets. I was at the office/warehouse and Lily asked me to check it out for her. I like the leaner profile and its a stout well padded belt. I hook my leash to the carabiner for cruising, distance, etc. The pocket is a little small, keeps it sleek I guess. Good enough for a key credit card and license...what more do you need? Oh...and the fluorescent orange safety whistle that's in the pocket.

All their stuff is good quality, I've tried most of it on. If you look at their website you'll see yours truly carrying my board into the water, and that's my wife's smiling face in the red PFD in the middle, and all of the boards shown are mine. We helped do a photoshoot with some family and friends. We pulled the cord on a bunch of the fluids, 6 or 7 people, pretty easy on, and they do have a manual inflation tube.
https://www.mtiadventurewear.com/

I do have to admit that unless I'm in sketchy conditions the cartridge isn't even engaged. I put it in and make sure its ready to go though if I am.

When you say that the cartridge isn't engaged, do you mean you don't screw in the cartridge?  Then you would rely on oral inflation should something happen?

PonoBill

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Re: Renewing the pfd question
« Reply #24 on: April 18, 2015, 03:26:58 PM »
Hey Bob, talk to those people about combining a camelback with their Fluid IIs. I've done it for myself, but that would be a pack I'd buy. They could park it on top of a belt camelbak.
Hey Bill, for a belt PFD to be CG "legal" doesn't it have to be worn in front (not that any of us do that.)  Is that a deterrent for companies like CamelBak combining the two worlds? I know its silly, but it has crossed my mind. 

I've been strapping my belt pack to my CamelBak fanny pack since the very first Round the Rock, and it works good, although any real time inflation of the PFD in an emergency would be deplorable. But, thats not why I'm wearing it.

Depends on how it deploys. The MTI belt packs inflate with the vest completely outside the pack, attached with a strap. You can pull it around and put it over your neck. There are some that deploy attached to the back and you need those in front.
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hbsteve

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Re: Renewing the pfd question
« Reply #25 on: April 18, 2015, 04:55:15 PM »
If the rules say on the board, most likely they DO NOT mean inflatable.  Read the rules carefully.  Otherwise you'll spend extra $$.

spirit4earth

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Re: Renewing the pfd question
« Reply #26 on: April 18, 2015, 05:26:12 PM »
If the rules say on the board, most likely they DO NOT mean inflatable.  Read the rules carefully.  Otherwise you'll spend extra $$.

Thanks for that tip.  I can't even find the rules!  I asked a shop for the info.  I guess I'll just wear the inflatable, though I could put my kayaking pfd on the board.  It's so big, though.....
What happened to free and easy paddling?  Calm, flat water....a leash....why am I required to have more?

spirit4earth

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Re: Renewing the pfd question
« Reply #27 on: April 18, 2015, 05:30:45 PM »
So if the law requires you to have a Type III life vest on the person or on the board, and an inflatable like the Stearns Sospenders is a Type III, couldn't that be attached to the board and be okay?   I know it isn't really a pfd until it's inflated, but legally, what's the bottom line?

hbsteve

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Re: Renewing the pfd question
« Reply #28 on: April 18, 2015, 07:12:10 PM »
The USCG rules state inflatables must be worn.  It seems the local authority would follow the same rules.
Don't try to apply logic.  Read the past posts on pfds.

pdxmike

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Re: Renewing the pfd question
« Reply #29 on: April 18, 2015, 07:24:12 PM »
Hey Bob, talk to those people about combining a camelback with their Fluid IIs. I've done it for myself, but that would be a pack I'd buy. They could park it on top of a belt camelbak.
Hey Bill, for a belt PFD to be CG "legal" doesn't it have to be worn in front (not that any of us do that.)  Is that a deterrent for companies like CamelBak combining the two worlds? I know its silly, but it has crossed my mind. 

I've been strapping my belt pack to my CamelBak fanny pack since the very first Round the Rock, and it works good, although any real time inflation of the PFD in an emergency would be deplorable. But, thats not why I'm wearing it.

Depends on how it deploys. The MTI belt packs inflate with the vest completely outside the pack, attached with a strap. You can pull it around and put it over your neck. There are some that deploy attached to the back and you need those in front.
I've talked to Camelbak a few times about their falsely advertising the Tahoe as "pfd compatible" and even showing an inflatable pfd stuck into the pocket.  That not compatible at all, since the pocket constrains it so it can't inflate.  So it's not safe (which makes it dumb legally for them to advertise it that way) and also may not impress anyone who's handing out tickets.  They give different answers to me each time--once it was that even though they show a pfd in the pocket, that's not what they meant--they said they meant you can use it with a standard pfd, and another time with an inflatable, but the kind that drapes over your neck--not a belt pfd.  I told them no paddler ever has used the neck type.  And what's the point of switching to a waist hydration pack, to get it off your shoulders, if you then have to add a pfd onto your shoulders? 


I told them if they'd make a combo inflatable pfd/waist hydration pack, they'd sell tons of them, but they showed absolutely no interest.  Maybe they don't want to get into the pfd business, since that involves certification and liability.  So maybe the best approach is to approach the pfd companies, and get them to add a hydration pack to their pfds.  It could be easier for a pfd company to add hydration than vice versa. In any event, it seems like there'd be a big market for a combo.  Wearing a belt pfd plus a hydration pack (waist or backpack) isn't very comfortable, especially in hot weather.  And even if sticking an inflatable into a pocket of a hydration pack would keep you from getting a ticket (I doubt it, because it's not readily accessible) it's still not very safe.




 


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