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Life jackets or buoyancy aids


Crow

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Buoyancy aids are for water sports where you are more likely to end up in the water.  Life jackets are for when you should not be in the water but may be.   A life jacket is designed to safe your life even if unconscious by keeping your head out of the water, buoyancy aids just help you keep afloat.

Edited by Robbo
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Excellent demonstration of what happens without the crotch strap. Just as an additional thought should you get a proper inflating lifejacket, check that the gas bottle is fully screwed into the holder. I wore my lifejacket for a number of occasions before someone asked if I'd checked and I hadn't. When I did I found that the inflating bottle was only lightly screwed into the start of the thread and if I had fallen in (this was offshore sailing) it wouldn't have inflated.

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I'd try to go to a bumpy water chandlers if possible to try some one...the fit and the catches can vary quite a bit for comfort & ease of use. Deffo get one with crotch or thigh straps.

It's well worth paying the bit extra for an auto unit...

Also make sure you make a note when the auto bobbin is due to be replaced and check the bottle at the same time.

Ordering a rearm kit or at least a spare bottle is a good idea...just in case...(all the auto units can be manually fired if needed) 

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I got the Crewsaver ErgoFit 190cn, it’s a fairly comfortable fit.  I wanted the hammer action release which is better if you are likely to get splashed in pursuit of your sport!

10 minutes ago, frangar said:

It's well worth paying the bit extra for an auto unit...

I would say that it would be useless to get a non automatic one for inland use.  The more likely of us been unconscious due to us hitting or head on the way down is prop a lot higher than off-shore boating!

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23 minutes ago, Robbo said:

I got the Crewsaver ErgoFit 190cn, it’s a fairly comfortable fit.  I wanted the hammer action release which is better if you are likely to get splashed in pursuit of your sport!

I would say that it would be useless to get a non automatic one for inland use.  The more likely of us been unconscious due to us hitting or head on the way down is prop a lot higher than off-shore boating!

Indeed...but there again there's people on here who think you are slightly mad to wear a lifejacket in the first place....I'm on the Avon  at the mo and it's about 50/50 between wearing & not....I guess those not wearing one have never fallen in even a moderately deep slow flowing (at the moment) river fully clothed......

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Last year I got my self on fire,I was on phone with my back to the hob and waiting for kettle to boil,prior to it boiling the back of my lumberjack  shirt got well on fire,I didn't have time to do anything other than take 2 big steps up to the deck and jump straight in ,I never even felt the bottom,when I bobd up the steel shutters / piles on the bank were 18 inch above water ,I'll I could do is hold on to them,I can tell you fully clothed and a nice big padded lumberjack type shirt  the weight is unreal ,it was only adrenalin and shear luck I managed to climb out ,although I can swim if that was in the Trent I'd have been  drowned I'm sure

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4 minutes ago, Crow said:

Last year I got my self on fire,I was on phone with my back to the hob and waiting for kettle to boil,prior to it boiling the back of my lumberjack  shirt got well on fire,I didn't have time to do anything other than take 2 big steps up to the deck and jump straight in ,I never even felt the bottom,when I bobd up the steel shutters / piles on the bank were 18 inch above water ,I'll I could do is hold on to them,I can tell you fully clothed and a nice big padded lumberjack type shirt  the weight is unreal ,it was only adrenalin and shear luck I managed to climb out ,although I can swim if that was in the Trent I'd have been  drowned I'm sure

Yes, fully clothed its almost impossible to get out without assistance.

I fell in at Elland late November a few years ago, slipped on some algae walking back to the boat ftom the lock. Wearing all the works as very cold, it snowed the next day. Never touched the bottom either despite going right under. I got myself to the side but could get no grip with my feet. My wife couldn't pull me out and eventually managed to stop a cyclist andvthen a dog walker,  who had to tie his dogs up first.  At least a hot shower was too hand.

Cost me over £300 as I lost my glasses, though managed to keep my hat on!

 

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2 hours ago, Detling said:

It is often the thermal shock that immobilizes you, making a auto-inflating life jacket the best choice. Our water is not the Caribbean 25 degrees C it is b****y freezing.

Particularly for those amongst us who are boating in the winter. Even I had no idea just how dangerous the thermal shock is but it brought it home to me when sailing off Shetland last year. A mayday was put out from a local fishing boat, a scalloper the 'King Challenger'. A crew member had gone over the  side without a lifejacket on (how many fishermen wear lifejackets?). He was reported to be a strong swimmer and they recovered him to the boat within 10 minutes, dead.

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22 hours ago, Crow said:

Life jacket it is then,  thanks

Yes.

 

2 hours ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

......A crew member had gone over the  side without a lifejacket on. He was reported to be a strong swimmer and they recovered him to the boat within 10 minutes, dead.

Not good.

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On 21/08/2017 at 18:21, Wanderer Vagabond said:

Particularly for those amongst us who are boating in the winter. Even I had no idea just how dangerous the thermal shock is but it brought it home to me when sailing off Shetland last year. A mayday was put out from a local fishing boat, a scalloper the 'King Challenger'. A crew member had gone over the  side without a lifejacket on (how many fishermen wear lifejackets?). He was reported to be a strong swimmer and they recovered him to the boat within 10 minutes, dead.

 

This sort of information suggests to me in winter it is pretty pointless wearing any sort of life jacket. 

Far better to make damned bloody certain one doesn't fall in.

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4 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

This sort of information suggests to me in winter it is pretty pointless wearing any sort of life jacket. 

Far better to make damned bloody certain one doesn't fall in.

With a lifejacket on you stand a better chance of keeping your breathing parts above water. "Not falling in" sadly isn't always possible. 

I guess you are one of those that thinks they don't need a lifejacket on when on rivers or single handing on the cut? 

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50 minutes ago, frangar said:

With a lifejacket on you stand a better chance of keeping your breathing parts above water. "Not falling in" sadly isn't always possible. 

I guess you are one of those that thinks they don't need a lifejacket on when on rivers or single handing on the cut? 

Also most ocean going lifejackets have attachments for safety harnesses which also aid recovery.

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6 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

This sort of information suggests to me in winter it is pretty pointless wearing any sort of life jacket. 

Far better to make damned bloody certain one doesn't fall in.

Far better to do both!  And think about a rescue ladder.  If solo, this should be deployable from the water.

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I fell into the wharf at heyford right at the cold end of the season, boots jeans thick jumper and a big bomber jacket. You're all right, bloody cold and bloody hard to get out!  I'm sure most stretches of the Oxford are about 3 feet deep but I certainly didn't touch the bottom!

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1 hour ago, Heffalump said:

I fell into the wharf at heyford right at the cold end of the season, boots jeans thick jumper and a big bomber jacket. You're all right, bloody cold and bloody hard to get out!  I'm sure most stretches of the Oxford are about 3 feet deep but I certainly didn't touch the bottom!

Because of all the boat movements at the wharf it is very deep as a member of staff found out last week. 

Was the video on the OP taken at Stoke Mandeville stadium ?

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22 hours ago, mross said:

Far better to do both!  And think about a rescue ladder.  If solo, this should be deployable from the water.

I see the latest version of the RCD requires a means of getting out of the water which does not require assistance, so steps on the hull or a self-deployable ladder.

Edited by BruceinSanity
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