Type V PFD recs?

[summit]

Looking for a good type V that will be a good paddling vest too. I had an opportunity for a Extrasport Swiftwater Fury but it looked like movement would be restricted for kayaking.

I can't afford two vests. I am definately interested if someone has a used vest or cheap hookup. I cannot swing the $160-$185 retail.

I'm looking at the Lotus P-Vest because I think I can get one cheap ($90-$100) although I'm really interested in a Stohlquist X-Tract-D, A300R, or a Kokatat if one can be had cheap...

Any suggestions or reviews taken.

Also if someone has a cheap playboat or starter runner package...

[Conundrum]

I've had a P-vest for 3 or 4 years and liked it but just replaced it with the 300

The 300 is very thought out with more features and comfort than the P-vest. I'm 6', 210 lbs and probably am the minimum for the the L-XL so if you are any smaller than me, get the XS-M.

Don't get me wrong though, the P-vest is a great vest and a $90, a pretty good deal. The only thing I really didn't like about it is the shoulder straps won't stay tight but you can fix that with some tape. I would sell you my old P-vest cheap/free but it is totally worked so I really wouldn't feel good about letting anyone use it.

As for a cheap river runner package, I saw this this morning

http://www.pdxkayaker.org/classified...ail&ad_id=2156

I live in Boise but will be in Bend in a couple of weeks if that would help. Seems like a solid deal.

As for online gearswaps, check out

www.boatertalk.com
www.kayakidaho.com
www.pdxkayaker.org
www.washingtonkayakclub.org
www.mountainbuzz.com
www.boof.com
www.nrsweb.com

[MarsB]

I've used a P-Vest for the past three seasons. Like conundrum said, there was a problem w/ shoulder strap slippage, but supposedly that has been fixed. I've been pretty happy with mine, and you quote a pretty good price. That said, I really like my Astral vest (can't remember the model, it was an early production run that I got off their rep), and if it was time to get a new rescue vest, I would probably go with the 300.

[Conundrum]

Summit, check your pm

[nate s]

The Swiftwater Fury is a good vest for guiding big water but I wouldn't want to kayak with it.

I bought a astral about this time last year and it is still holding up well. I will get atleast another season of full time use out of it, which is better than any of the previous rescue vests I had that I was replacing yearly. I really liked the design of rio pro (alot more pocket space than the p-vest and a little more flotation) but it fell apart it less than a year.

Don't have any experience with the others, but I can't complain about the astral and will likely get another when the time comes...

[Foggy_Goggles]

Summit. You really don't want to kayak with a Type V or any other super high bouyancy vest. When you're upside down, it seriously fucks with your roll. I'm assuming you're really looking for a rescue vest you can use for SAR and paddling. Many of the vests you are looking at are actually Type III. Don't skimp on a vest. Also keep in mind that with use, vests loose buoyancy. Some of the manu's claim 10%/year. I'm not sure if that's fact, but old vests are sinkers. 5yrs seems to be about max. Check Sierra for deals, a bunch of good rescue vests there. I use an Astral. I love the fit, back coverage, pull-over style and the chest bag (I've had bad luck with waist bags). Somethings to look for:

High waist - it should not interfere with getting all the way on your front deck

Knife placements - some vests suck for this

Rescue Belt System - the Stoliquist style is known as questionable

[Foggy_Goggles]

Astal $100
the buzz

[summit]

Foggy, thank you for the info!

I thought those (pvest, xtract, a300r) were type Vs. Websites seem to call them such...

I tried several on and really liked the astral and the stohlquist. Conundrum PM'd me that buzz ad, unfortunately it is a L/XL and I need a S/M.

Could you elaborate on your issues with waist bags?

I definately liked the astral's features like the chest bag option, side pocket to keep the tow webbing short and free from snagging, as well as having hydration pocket. I just wondered with a chest bag would you still have room for 3 caribiners and other little items (car keys, mini cpr mask, maybe a prussik)?

[RootSkier]

I never really understood the whole 'wearing the throw rope' thing. I have mine bungeed in right in front of my seat. It takes 1.2654 seconds to get it out, and I always grab it when scouting, etc.

It seems like the more shit that is strapped to you, the more likely you are to get tangled up in lumber (by far my biggest fear when kayaking).

Also, I truly believe that tow tethers are totally unrealistic for whitewater. I like to believe that the only thing I would ever use my rescue vest for is live bait or as a tie-off point for setting safety in bad/slippery terrain.

In my (new) Astral, I keep two non-locking biners, two prussiks, and and a piece of tubular webbing in my chest pocket. Locking biner on shoulder strap. Spectra rope goes in my crotch, and locking biner, pulleys, and large hex behind the seat.

[Foggy_Goggles]

A Type V PFD is designed to float an unconcious swimmer head-up. For this reason, only lifejackets with the horse collar are Type V.

Waist Bags - pretty much what Root said. I had one get ripped off in a hole once. IMO, the risks to both the users and other from wearing a rope outweigh the benefits. What are you gonna do, bag someone as they paddle by? Tow tether work for gear resuce is easier but again, no need to wear it. I've ferried boat across the river with a piece of webbing, 2 biners and my resuce loop.

In whitewater rescue (not gear recovery), quick thinking, training and teamwork trump equipment and gear everytime. Too much shit in the river just adds danger. You are never gonna Z-drag out a person. Fireman (and some SAR units) are notorious for this "lets git all our shit in the river" 'tude.

What I carry on difficult, remote, long runs-

Resuce Vest
50ft 1/4 spectra in the vest
70ft 1/4 spectra in the boat
First Aid Kit w/ CPR Mask and Sam Split
Fire Starter
Tarp/Bivy deal

2 lockers
2 non-lockers
2 webbing (one harness lenght)
2 prussik
2 tiblocs

[Conundrum]

I thought those (pvest, xtract, a300r) were type Vs. Websites seem to call them such...

Could you elaborate on your issues with waist bags?

I definately liked the astral's features like the chest bag option, side pocket to keep the tow webbing short and free from snagging, as well as having hydration pocket. I just wondered with a chest bag would you still have room for 3 caribiners and other little items (car keys, mini cpr mask, maybe a prussik)?

All Type V means is that is has higher than 15.5 lbs of float. Foggy is right that to be a type V it must be able to keep an unconscious person's head above water and the CG has determined that anything over 15.5 lbs float will do this so they are no longer requiring the flappy collar thing to obtain the V rating.

Be leary of "rescue vests" that only have the tow belt. To be a true rescue vest, it should have some type of internal webbing sewn in to form a chest harness for live bait rescues and the like.

My personal issues with waist bags is that if you wear them around your waist, they wear out your sprayskirt quickly. If you wear them up higher under your armpits, it feels binding and constricting to me. Plus, the Salmander kind doesn't have a releasable bag from the belt so the straps get tangled and it can be annoying to throw (if you own one, I would say practice throwing it more than you would a normal bag).

On my Astral, I carry webbing, two prussiks and three locking biners in the pocket (spectra rope and pullies in my kayak), 6 ft of spectra web and a big opening biner in the side (I agree with Root, these are no good if the water is fast or big but my gf is learning to paddle in class II/III and this makes my life a lot easier for her swims), and lash the knife with a zip tie to the sheath under the whistle clip (I've found that lash points like the one on the shoulder strap allow the knife to snag on stuff when rafting and you can lose your knife easily). I also have a whistle tied in the little hidey hole on the right shoulder strap-the fastek whistle is not very loud.

I just bought the chest pocket rope and it hasn't been a problem tucking up if I'm upside down but the verdict is still out on this and I think I would take it out if I were boating anything with very much snag potential.