I don't have a boat, but a friend of mine and I dip-net the Copper River several times each summer. I use his life preservers, and these are like the ones everyone else wears: Type-III PDF (the ones that have flotation foam).
Today I was reading some recommendations relating to life preservers, and realized that most of them are designed to float a person in calm water. The Copper is more like rough water, however. Reading further, I noticed that some inflatable PFD's are recommended not only for calm water, but rough water as well, specially the 35-lb inflation ones. There are three kinds: one that automatically inflates on immersion, another that is both automatic/manual (pull a cord), and a manual one that requires pulling the cord for inflation.
I have been thinking of buying a manual inflatable preserver, since they are available locally (Fairbanks), and the price, even though it's much higher than a foam life preserver, it's still not bad at $98.00 or so.
What are your views on these devises?
Today I was reading some recommendations relating to life preservers, and realized that most of them are designed to float a person in calm water. The Copper is more like rough water, however. Reading further, I noticed that some inflatable PFD's are recommended not only for calm water, but rough water as well, specially the 35-lb inflation ones. There are three kinds: one that automatically inflates on immersion, another that is both automatic/manual (pull a cord), and a manual one that requires pulling the cord for inflation.
I have been thinking of buying a manual inflatable preserver, since they are available locally (Fairbanks), and the price, even though it's much higher than a foam life preserver, it's still not bad at $98.00 or so.
What are your views on these devises?
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