Life vests for the well-endowed

[Geoff54]

You'll sometimes see hydrostatic mechanisms referred to as "Hammer" who make and hold the patent for arguably the best one - at least that's what they will tell you.

[Argyle38]

The PFD pictured doesn't have D-ring harness attachments. I would recommend getting the ones with the D-ring, that way you can attach yourself to a tether which is then attached to the boat.

Deluxe Inflatable PFD with Hydrostatic Inflator Technology (HIT) and Sailing Harness MD3184

As far as a tether goes, it is safer to get one with a snap shackle that can be released under load (in case the boat goes down or flips over) and a fail-safe snap hook. Personally, I prefer the Kong style since the snap hook is easy to operate.

Kong Single Retractable Tether

First rule - stay on the boat.

[eherlihy]

This is the one that I have;


But unless you need the "D" rings, and have the tether, and jack lines, you are wasing an extra $60... or so.

[PorFin]

Originally Posted by eherlihy

But unless you need the "D" rings, and have the tether, and jack lines, you are wasing an extra $60... or so.

OTOH, you may want to outfit your boat with tethers and jacklines in the future so the extra money today may be well spent in the long run -- just food for thought.

[bljones]

The d-rings could also make handy footrests for nursing infants.

[Brigala]

Good tips, guys, thanks!

The boat we "have" is still under discernment whether it's going to the scrap yard or getting refurbished. I can certainly add tethers to the list of things we need to install before we take it out.

[Bilgewater]

Originally Posted by bljones

The d-rings could also make handy footrests for nursing infants.

That's funny.

[PaulinVictoria]

Go below before laying out the food so to speak. Won't need a vest on then
FWIW, my wife has the pink Mustang pictured above and she floats face up in a swimming pool.

[ottos]

Originally Posted by Brigala

On the other hand, maybe they'll serve just fine as floatation devices without a vest.

There's a reason some early PFD's were called Mae West's

My wife has similar challenges, and is comfortable with her Mustang inflatable. We got the rings for tethering, it just made sense, even if we didn't need them at the moment.

Previously, when we got her a vest for the Hobie, we went to a kayak outfitter who suggested the models that would work best for her. Of course those were non-inflatable.

Good luck!

.

[Melrna]

I believe Practical Sailor did a piece while back ago on this subject for us gals. This is my next one when my Mustang wears out.
Spinlock vest.
SPINLOCK Auto-Inflating PFD Deck Vest at West Marine