life jacket question

[bride2be5150]

Recently got a new life jacket from fiancee...not a huge wearer in the first place and this one came with an understrap. (strap between your legs) Not being the strongest swimmer in the world, he makes me wear it, but Is there much harm in cutting that strap off or just not wearing it? It's brilliantly uncomfortable and a huge inconvenience. It's a type I USCG approved jacket and seems to fit fine without. I have an inflatable with the same feature. Just don't wear it. Thanks all!

 

[JB]

Re: life jacket question

Wear it as designed, bride2B. It just might save your life.

 

[cbavier]

Re: life jacket question

IMO if you cut the strap off. It will no longer be Coast Guard Approved and could jeopardize your life as well as make you subject to a fine if ever checked. The strap is put there by the Manufacturer for a reason. Tell your Fiancee you prefer to wear the inflatable and wear it. Then leave the other one with the strap on the boat for another passenger. if you don't feel comfortable wearing the one with the strap.

 

[ziggy]

Re: life jacket question

agree with others, don't mod your new pfd.

as a not strong swimmer, i too think you should wear one all the time. even if you were a strong swimmer you should. me too for that matter...

find a pfd that is as comfortable for you and get that one. or wear the one you have and get used to it...

personally, i don't have a fancy pfd. just a regular type III but it is comfortable and i do wear it. mostly when i'm boating alone or in stressful situations. i should wear mine all the time too. you never know when your gonna end up in the drink. + i got a sneaking suspicion that if you or me end up in the water, it's gonna happen so fast that you can't grab you pfd on the way out.....

 

[Knightgang]

Re: life jacket question

Hello Bride2b and welcome to Iboats...

I suggest that you and he go to the boat shop and find you a PFD that is the most comfortable for you and then your part of the dealis that you have to wear it, at a minimum anytime the boat is underway and/or in rough water... PFD does no good when stored under the seat.... They are just like PPE (personal protective equipment) in the industrial world. It is protect that is there in case it is needed (accident/emergency in most cases, not just when it is needed...

 

[backwater dawg]

Re: life jacket question

Quote "He makes me wear it"----maybe he LOVESSSSSS you

 

[Texasmark]

Re: life jacket question

Family was out on a Sunday's outing and the daughter (about 13 at the time) fell off her skis. She was wearing one of the rigid foam ski vests but it had no such strap. Upon entering the water the vest came up and over her head forcing her arms outstretched upwards. This forced her head underwater. Luckily I was able to get the boat back to her (I was driving) and jumped in the water and was able to save her from serious problems.

The strap would have prevented this but in those days there were no straps.

Mark

 

[BTMCB]

Re: life jacket question

Agree with all the above. It is designed for a purpose. Wear it as designed. Altering design probably puts you in violation of the CG regulation re PFDs. Have fiance secure that strap!

 

[bride2be5150]

Re: life jacket question

thanks for the advice everyone. So if it's important should I fit all my life jackets with a crotch strap?

 

[themaniam1]

Re: life jacket question

I like the self inflating PFDs for when I am on the boat cruising around, don't use them if you are playing in the water. Most of your self inflating are very comfortable and do not have the crotch strap. They are light weight and do not make your over heat in the sun. Here is the US Coast Guard site for PFDs http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/cg5214/pfdselection.asp#status There are PFDs for different purposes. I believe the strap is on children PFDs (so they do not slid out) and on ones designed for high speed but don't quote me on that.

 

[Woodnaut]

Re: life jacket question

Everyone on my boat wears a life jacket all of the time - no exceptions. (We go over that before we even leave the house so there's no fussing about it later.) My only regret is that I haven't upgraded to the inflatable kind yet because they provide much more buoyancy. As far as the crotch strap is concerned, it's probably more of an inconvenience, and possibly even a little uncomfortable at times, but it will keep the jacket on you if your unconscious or if you enter the water feet first. As already suggested, find one that you like. I suggest that you wear it whenever you're in the boat. (Now I'm repeating myself. )

 

[Chris1956]

Re: life jacket question

Bride2Be, I have never seen a crotch strap on anything other than a child's PFD. I have bought lots of PFDs over the last 40 years of boating.

Mark, That is a shoking story about your teenage daughter. I did not think that was possible to happen to a child that old. I have had foam vests tear(Usually the shoulder seam would fail) after a hard fall on salom, but it was never a problem, as they stayed on sufficiently to float me. I don't think I can think of a way that I someone could fall feet first, at speed enough to do that. Most falls at high speed are head first.

 

[HappierWet]

Re: life jacket question

Wear it as designed, bride2B. It just might save your life.

JB, you're such a watchdog. <jk>

 

[Texasmark]

Re: life jacket question

Mark, That is a shoking story about your teenage daughter. I did not think that was possible to happen to a child that old. I have had foam vests tear(Usually the shoulder seam would fail) after a hard fall on salom, but it was never a problem, as they stayed on sufficiently to float me. I don't think I can think of a way that I someone could fall feet first, at speed enough to do that. Most falls at high speed are head first.

The problem happened in the 1975 time frame. Daughter was born in 66 so I guess she wasn't that old......geez time flies. So I guess she was around 9. Like I said I was driving and it happened so fast. All I remember is looking around, which I did constantly (back and forth) when towing, seeing her go under with her hands/arms straight up (being constrained by the vest). I didn't see her fall so I don't know how she did it. I just saw her as she was sliding through the vest after impact. I did a full power turnaround (which took only a few seconds but seemed like forever) and upon getting to her cut the throttle to N and hopped over the side....we had the '72 Caravelle 18' trihull so sides were pretty low and with the seat were easy to clear.

Mark

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: life jacket question

if you wear an auto inflatable, properly, it will tighten up on you so it will not come off. the preserver you have with the straps are for ocean going boats.

 

[skargo]

Re: life jacket question

My wife and I ARE strong swimmers, but even so, we wear them always when underway. No exceptions, we like living

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: life jacket question

Question: Do you wear thong underwear? Nuff said! Quit complaining about the strap. Besides: Nothing says it needs to be tight enough to cross your eyes.

 

[skargo]

Re: life jacket question

Question: Do you wear thong underwear? Nuff said! Quit complaining about the strap. Besides: Nothing says it needs to be tight enough to cross your eyes.

Harsh, but I chuckled.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: life jacket question

Frank that was not nice, by the way how do you know?

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: life jacket question

yeah I thought that was kinda rude but then if his strap was too tight he might been grumpy