Mustang /vs/ SOSpenders PFD - why the big $ difference?

[majortoo]

I recall the words of the late Dr. W. Edwards Deming, the guru on quality, who used to blame about 80 percent of our problems to incompetent management. He later revised that number to 94 percent. Anyway, I might attribute the cost difference to the insurance industry. The potential liability issues on life vests are substantial, and one company just might have gotten a better deal from their insurance company. Regardless, we consumers get to pay the bill.

[hellosailor]

"He later revised that number to 94 percent."
Akin to Sturgeon's law: "90% of everything is trash."

If life vests were sold as "For ornamental and decorative use only. Not to be used in, on, or near any body of water. Not designed to be used as life-saving equipment, use of this device will not save your life. " would that help the liability problem?
(sigh)

[TrueBlue]

I must have missed this thread, but was surprised to hear our infamous CCP describe her BC as having a CO2 cartridge inflator. What was she smoking?

Anyone who's become certified to dive knows the dangers of ascending at too fast a rate. If one of those cartridges goes off while at say, 100 ft fsw - you're going to ascend like a rocket, air will expand in your lungs, causing a fatal barotrauma.

[hellosailor]

"but was surprised to hear our infamous CCP describe her BC as having a CO2 cartridge inflator. "

Why surprised? SCUBA BCs normally do use CO2 inflators for emergency bouyancy. Both of mine do, as have every one I've seen over the years, except for some of the ancient "breast float" (horse collar)ultrathin cheap ones. Every "vest" model that I've seen has a CO2 inflator hidden under or in the pocket.

And yes, this could be dangerous. That's why mine has an extra safety pin to prevent accidental inflation, and the cord itself is velcro'd up under the flap so it can't foul. But we were taught, if you ever have to SEND SOMEONE UP, that's one option for doing it. Maybe not the best option--but sometimes the right one.