January 6, 2002

PFDs for Big Guys (and Gals)

"This article first appeared on 'Wes Boyd's Kayak Place' website and is republished with permission. All articles in this category were authored by Wes Boyd unless otherwise noted. [Woody]"

An Iconoclast's Viewpoint

It's Coast Guard regulation that you have to have a flotation aid -- commonly referred to as a PFD, or personal flotation device -- aboard when you're out kayaking. In some circumstances, they're required to be worn at all times -- and most authorities agree that it's a good idea. Some kayaking authorities even get a little rabid at the mouth if it's suggested in their presence that it's possible to go out without one on, not just in the boat.

This is all well and good -- most authorities agree that the best flotation aid is one that is worn, and nothing in this article should be construed to mean that I'm not advocating wearing one. But, I do believe that the common wisdom among kayakers is to some degree barking up the wrong tree. This is especially true where larger kayakers are concerned.

PFDs are controversial in the kayaking community, and on many fronts. I'm probably going to upset some people when I say that the "Type III Recreational Vest", far and away the most commonly accepted flotation device among kayakers, is a poor choice for many, and again, especially true in most cases for larger kayakers.

The idea of wearing a PFD is that it will supply flotation if you wind up in the water -- and, in kayaks, there's almost always that chance. However, if you wind up in the water, wearing a Type III may prove to not be the best choice you could have made -- their buoyancy is only required to be 15.5 pounds, although some run a little higher. However, the Coast Guard Auxiliary's Boating Safety, Skills and Seamanship says flatly, "They are designed for calm inland or close offshore water where there is a good chance of fast rescue . . . They will not turn their wearer face up." You'd better be able to swim, if you're going to wear a Type III.

If a PFD is a "worst case" device, then let's talk worst case. It seems to me that kayakers going offshore, where there is little chance for rescue, or where there is a significant chance of being separated from their boat should be wearing something better than at Type III. A Type I Offshore Life Jacket will turn its wearer face up, provide more flotation, and provide a little more hypothermia protection than a Type III. Even the ugly, often-rejected Type II "Horsecollar" will turn its wearer face up and keep them there.

But you're not going to catch any but the most paranoid or clueless kayaker in a Type I or Type II. The reason that the Type III vest is so popular -- and not just among kayakers, but among most recreational boaters -- stems not from its lifesaving abilities, but from its expediency. They provide somewhat more freedom of motion, at the expense of ultimate safety.

Problems for bigger paddlers

From the viewpoint of the typical kayaking big guy or gal, the vast majority of the Type III Recreational Vests have another problem -- they don't work very well. To put it bluntly, most Type III Recreational Vests are designed to fasten snugly around the waist to keep the PFD from riding up on the wearer. If it rides up, it makes its flotation somewhat useless and encumbers freedom of motion needed for self rescues. But, most of us big guys and gals are bigger in our bellies than we are in our chests, so the idea just doesn't work. I've tried on $15 Stearns life jackets from K-Mart, and $140 types from Extrasport and Lotus, and the only difference I can see in the riding up problem is $125. If it's snug enough to maybe give a little support when you're body is vertical, then it's way too tight sitting in the kayak. So, in a spill, the life jacket quite quickly winds up holding you up under the armpits, with much of the flotation useless.

The only solution to this problem, at least with a Type III Recreational Vest, is to find one of the rare ones that has leg straps to keep it from riding up.

I only note one in the West Marine catalog, for example -- a Sterns "Type III Trophy Series Vest". Sizes go to a "XXX", for a 54-56" chest; the price is around $80.

The Cabela's catalog has two or three. One is a "Cabela's Pro Angler 100," which runs to a 7X, 68" chest. It's a little better equipped with pockets than the Stearns mentioned below, and appears to be somewhat shorter. Prices run $60-$65, depending on size. Another, the "Cabela's Signature Series Vest" appears to have leg straps in the photo, although they aren't mentioned in the text. Again, this one goes to 7X, a 68" chest. and it's supposed to have a little better ventilation than the "Pro Angler." The price is a little steeper, about $80-$90, depending on size. I don't know who actually makes the PFDs that have Cabela's brand name on them. Cabela's also stocks a Stearns "Big Man's Vest", which also comes in sizes to 7X. Prices run $45 to $50, again depending on size. However, this is on the long side, and that might prove to be an issue, since the back of the PFD can be pushed up by the back of a kayak seat or spray skirt, which is why most kayak-specific PFDs are cut rather high in the back.

I have to admit that I haven't evaluated any of the above on the water, but I plan to give one of them an extended tryout, and will update the web page with my experiences when I have. But, hopefully, I've made clear that bigger kayakers don't have to be resticted to poorly fitting, uncomfortable and, in my opinion, somewhat unsafe PFDs that are the norm among kayakers.

Update (1/6/02): Over the course of the last year, I tried out the West Marine vest and both of the higher-end Cabela vests. They are good PFDs for the average big-guy boater. However, they are a little long in the back to be comfortable in a kayak seat. Worse, the leg straps fasten at the bottom of the PFD, rather than up inside, and would block the use of a spray skirt. Still, they have potential in some situations, but in the end I bought none of them, electing to follow the option below.

The heat is on

But, there's another factor about Type III Recreational Vests that makes them less than attractive to the larger kayaker: their insulation value. A foam PFD can actually be pretty warm on a cool spring or fall day, but get out in the summer sun in 90 degree temperatures and high humidity and see how much you can sweat. Especially for us larger types, this is more than mere discomfort -- it's a safety issue all its own, for heat exhaustion or heatstroke might not be far away. I can hear the purists now: "Oh, you can just do a roll to cool off." Well, only if you have a fairly reliable roll, which, like the majority of sea kayakers, I don't.

I'll be honest: in hot conditions, when I've been on calm inland lakes with few objective dangers, I've been known to put the PFD under the back deck bungees and damn the purists. I knew that I was taking a risk in doing so, but I was taking a risk in not doing it, too. Sometimes, you have to balance one against the other. I figured that if something really unlikely did happen and I did capsize, well, the water was warm and I'd have plenty of time to put the PFD on if I decided I needed it. I was not real happy with going without a PFD on, but I suffer in the heat, too, like a lot of us large people, who have limited surface area to cool off our mass.

So, I turned to a different answer, which although controversial and far from widely accepted, I think holds a lot of promise for kayakers: an inflatable PFD.

The wave of the future

In 1997, on the theory that any PFD is a more effective device if it's worn, the US Coast Guard approved some types of inflatable PFDs. "Inflatable vests provide greater buoyancy, better righting ability, and better head support than all but some Type I foam PFDs," says the West Marine Advisor. "We are strong supporters of inflatable PFDs, because of their high buoyancy and the freedom of movement they allow, which increases the liklihood that they will be worn."

Inflatables have been around for years -- remember the World War II Mae West that naval aviators wore? But, they were never USCG approved. For many years, it was not uncommon for boaters to have cheap regular PFDs stashed somewhere around the boat to be legal, and an inflatable to wear, but the regulation changes ended a lot of that.

There are inflatables in the Type III and Type V (Special use and hybrid) classes. Some inflate automatically on hitting the water, although the Coast Guard hasn't approved these devices. Others inflate manually, either through a blow-up tube or by a ripcord-activated CO2 bottle.

Most inflatables fall in the Type III arena because they do not provide flotation without inflation, and require occasional inspection and maintenance, involving checking the CO2 cartridge and air holding ability at least annually. They usually provide 22.5 pounds of flotation, but range up to 33.7 pounds and even higher. They don't, however, provide anything like the insulation of the foam Type III devices.

The hybrid devices are inflatables with some built-in buoyancy -- 10 pounds in the Type III -- and additonal buoyancy is added upon inflation, typically another 12 pounds. In fact, I think the hybrids are going to be the wave of the future for kayakers, since they provide the best of both worlds. However, at the moment I know of no Type V Hybrids out there for the larger paddler. But, I'm looking.

The Type V (Special Use) vests incorporate beefed-up straps so they can do double duty as safety harnesses, primarily on sailboats. Although SOLAS-grade (Safety Of Life At Sea, the highest), they probably don't have much application for kayaking.

I'm of the opinion that, for kayakers, it's probably just as well that the USCG didn't approve auto-inflatable PFDs, since they might decided to inflate when splashed by a large wave or an intentional roll; then, it costs about $20 to arm them. If you do buy an auto-inflatable, you'll have to also carry a USCG-approved PFD to be legal; make sure you check the label.

The big name in inflatables is Sospenders, and they do look like suspenders. Other companies make them, typically Stearns and Mustang. Mine is an "inshore inflatable vest" made by Sospenders and sold by West Marine. Cost was about $70, and the re-arming kit is about $11.00. The vest really isn't designed as a big person PFD -- at 52", I'm at the limit of adjustment -- but it's closed by a simple Fastex buckle, and probably an extension wouldn't be any big trick. Since it's really a smaller person's PFD, it sits high enough on me that riding up isn't a really major problem, although Sospenders now offers a crotch strap kit for $8.00 that should solve the problem.

There are obviously times when an inflatable isn't going to be the appropriate wear -- when the risk of capsize is relatively high, like in surfing, for instance. And, an inflatable may actually interfere with re-entries -- but so can a regular PFD. I think that inflatables have a lot going for them, especially for the larger kayaker in warmer months, when heat injury becomes an issue and in general circumstances when objective risks are low.

In conclusion

There's my rant on PFDs. It probably settles nothing; as I said, PFDs are among the most hotly debated issues among kayakers. But it's clear to me that, in PFDs as in wet suits, most kayaking equipment manufacturers in the field today neither understand the problems or build effective equipment to fit the large size kayaker. So, we have to do the best we can elsewhere.