Jump to content

inflatable lifejackets - what's what?


Recommended Posts

4 hours ago, raz88 said:

Particularly re Baltic, which I have, as the information on the Baltic website says that you should have it serviced each year by an authorized agent OR you can do it yourself.

There has been discussion about Baltic servicing on crew.org previously. Their wording was ambiguous as to whether self-service was acceptable. Maybe they have updated the wording? Island Time knows more about this.

 

Link to post
Share on other sites
6 hours ago, raz88 said:

Interested in where this info comes from? Particularly re Baltic, which I have, as the information on the Baltic website says that you should have it serviced each year by an authorized agent OR you can do it yourself.

Is the above from ynz? Or just something collated from what you could find?

copied and pasted from the YNZ website.... link here:

 

https://www.yachtingnz.org.nz/news/service-requirements-inflatable-lifejackets

Link to post
Share on other sites

I agree with psyche, but am concerned about category inspection or pre race safety inspections by clubs if the manufacturer specifies your lifejacket needs pro servicing and you've self serviced it.

The baltic material is still ambiguous. Refers to the ability to self service but that they 'recommend' professional servicing. Screenshot_20220714-183737_OneDrive.thumb.jpg.92cb05c5c2898381d9615c178ee62c54.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites
15 hours ago, raz88 said:

I agree with psyche, but am concerned about category inspection or pre race safety inspections by clubs if the manufacturer specifies your lifejacket needs pro servicing and you've self serviced it.

The baltic material is still ambiguous. Refers to the ability to self service but that they 'recommend' professional servicing. Screenshot_20220714-183737_OneDrive.thumb.jpg.92cb05c5c2898381d9615c178ee62c54.jpg

They are trying to make it more complicated than what it is, Baltic is part of the EU rules and regs mentality- they sell to plenty of people who buy yachts like they would an appliance and get everything done by professionals because its convenient or they are not practical. Reading the blurb, you can absolutely self service their jackets, it would be market suicide for any manufacturer to stipulate return to base annually, if so then the resellers would need to stipulate it or there would be a giant warning label saying DANGER IF NOT SERVICED EVERY 12  MONTHS THIS DEVICE MAY NOT WORK... yeah right!

  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

I have a Stormr Strykr jacket which I bought a few years ago. The idea is it uses 2mm neoprene with a fibrepile liner. The intention is that it is warm and also provides buoyancy. I think it's a great idea however the neoprene soaks up water which then leaks through. When I use it now I put a light raincoat on over it.

https://stormrusa.com/product/new-strykr-jacket/

Link to post
Share on other sites
4 hours ago, Black Panther said:

Great article.  Puts the pros and cons and (to my untrained eye) makes valid conclusions based on circumstances, usage type etc.  Interesting point early on about using a fixed bouyancy jacket OVER an inflatable when doing a controlled evacuation.  That make sense to me.

Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, Kevin McCready said:

I would never put anything over an inflatable. Imagine what happens to what you are wearing if the inflatable pops and inflates.

risk assessment.  It's not put forward in the article as a complete and foolproof solution. Its put forward as a reasonable solution in specific conditions and considering all other hazards.

Its your call Kevin - you can choose to do it or not do it.  I just looked at it and thought "that's an approach I would not have considered." 

I'm guessing that if you are on your ear and taking on water in a howling onshore and 300m off a rocky beach, the question of what happens in the event that your manually activated jacket spontaneously inflates under your hastily donned hard jacket is somewhat academic.

Link to post
Share on other sites

A good article - thanks for the link BP.

@aardvarkash10 I can't find any mention of wearing a fixed buoyancy vest over the top an inflatable vest?  Is that what you meant?

One of my sea survival course instructors drummed into me years ago, never wear anything over an inflatable, he had witnessed someone with a rain jacket over the top having to have their inflatable burst with a knife because they couldn't breath...

 

  • Upvote 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

My read of the article is that they're saying there may be circumstances where you'd favor a regular pfd over/instead of an inflatable.  Not to literally wear an additional lifejacket over the top of an inflatable one...

  • Like 1
  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
36 minutes ago, raz88 said:

My read of the article is that they're saying there may be circumstances where you'd favor a regular pfd over/instead of an inflatable.  Not to literally wear an additional lifejacket over the top of an inflatable one...

Yeah that was my translation too ….they favour a foam pfd for going through the surf or a controlled abandon ship over an exploder . Damn the manufacturers need to come up with a dinghy/vest style PFD with 150NM or more , but I guess the cartridges are a good earner for them 

Link to post
Share on other sites
47 minutes ago, Ex Machina said:

Damn the manufacturers need to come up with a dinghy/vest style PFD with 150NM or more

You cant get around physics, its all about volume in the right place. I had to wonder about the hypothetical situation described in the article where they advise putting on a wetsuit and fins prior to disembarking on a lee shore. Yeah right!

  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
9 hours ago, CarpeDiem said:

 I can't find any mention of wearing a fixed buoyancy vest over the top an inflatable vest?  Is that what you meant?

It was what I meant but it wasn't what the article meant!  The perils of speed reading between tasks.  Thanks for raising my attention to it.

@Kevin - perhaps I need some remedial communications training!

Link to post
Share on other sites

I have stripped off clothes put on togs and swum ashore on a lee shore , it was too rough for dinghy, went back out to  get all our gear off the boat on the mooring two days later -like a mill pond, which made it even sadder that some one had drowned in the stormy weather on a cat very close by without us knowing.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Update.  We went down to SO for the pre summer pre seasonal clean up and took the new jackets down, brought the old jackets back.

Note to everyone with inflatable life jackets.  If you can't remember when you last serviced them, take 20 minutes in the next couple of weeks to do so.  The images inform.

IMG_20221005_183026.jpg

IMG_20221005_183306_1.jpg

IMG_20221005_183313.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...