I don't swim but I kayak a lot. Will this keep me afloat if I capsize? I have been using a full life vest but it is very bulky. I am 5-6 and weigh 1
249484
I would think so, I however, wear mine in a pool in water 9' or more, and it does keep me on top of the water. As far as bulky wear, I suppose it may be a bit less bulk around the waist only compared to a full life vest...I never thought of wearing it while I kayak! Thanks for asking the question Marvin!
249485
It is NOT a life saving apparatus. However, it does keep you afloat, but does not keep your head above water unless you moves arms and legs. It is meant for water arobics. I am not a swimmer, but use this for aerobics.
249486
It keeps me on top of the water in the pool. I don't know if it will do the same while kayaking.
249487
Yes, it will keep you afloat, but it is probably safer to wear a certified life jacket. I just wear mine in a local swimming pool. The belt fits right under your chest so I'm not sure how that would hit you when you are sitting in a kayak.
249488
I would find a less bulky PFD. LIfe vests are vests for a reason. For one, when I've fallen out of a boat while rafting, I've been pulled back in by the in-boat person grabbing the shoulders of my vest, so they don't dislocate my shoulders. This would not do that. Also, if you go face first into the water, my guess is, this would hold your bottom up just as well as it would hold the top of your body up. You need something constructed to keep your head above water in turbulence and unpredictable environments. This is made for aerobics in a pool - a much different environment.
249489
I would think so, I however, wear mine in a pool in water 9' or more, and it does keep me on top of the water.As far as bulky wear, I suppose it may be a bit less bulk around the waist only compared to a full life vest...I neverthought of wearing it while I kayak! Thanks for asking the question Marvin!
1494768
See the handle hanging (lowest item in the photo) that is attached by a line to a small cylinder of air. You have to pull that handle to set off the air that inflates the vest. It is category III lifevest:" Good for calm, inland waters, or where there is a good chance for fast rescue." I was a little disappointed that the makers of these vests are not required to state that in their advertisements. I bought mine for offshore kayaking, and I really should have purchased a more expensive model. If you are doing any river rafting I would recommend something that does not require manual inflation. If you accidentally bump your head, you may be incapable of igniting this device. Good luck.
1286291
It might with floatation a little. I have used it in Hawaii in Salt Water. Salt water help with floatation too so I'm not sure how much the vest helps that way. It sure helps keep me warmer so I can snorkel longer though.
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You will most likely have your shoulders and above out of the water and so will your husband. We both use the float and we love it. It is really comfortable but some of your body will be out of the water.
2107057
I use the vault around the pool. It gets splashed a bit but I've never tried the hard test of actual intentional submersion. I always make sure the gasket lining is tight and secure. Suggestion (which I may try): submerge vault WITHOUT jambox and see if it gets wet, and where. As for float trip, I'm guessing it'll stand up to a bit of a dunking but not rapids/rocks. It's well built and seems rugged but not sure I'd push it that far.I can tell you that it really seals up tight and the device sounds great even in the vault.
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All wetsuits give a bit of buoyancy, if they are made of neoprene. A full suit 4 mm suit floats me entirely. my legs float up so it is hard to swim. With thin shorts, your butt will ride higher in the water when you swim. But NO THE SHORTS WILL NOT FLOAT WHOLE BODY. they might help your stroke if you have a heavy butt, though!
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So this vest is definitely not for non-swimmer. While it provides outstanding flotation, at your finger tips, while snorkeling. There is a disclaimer on the inside of the vest, expressing that it should not be used as a PFD. Also, the darn thing rides up on you. You have to rig something to keep it down, especially when slightly inflated. That said, it does provide awesome flotation if you are snorkeling for a long time...
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I am not exactly sure what specifically would make it good for kayaking but I use it when I am Stand Up Paddle Board racing. The only issue you might have with it is there is no cross piece that holds the two shoulder straps together so if you are doing some really rough kayaking, it might not stay secure on your shoulders, but if you are just paddling around, it would be fine.
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I'm 180 and 5"9" and I bought a medium, it was snug but once you fill it with air and start to snorkel the vest did start to rise up towards your chin alittle, but once I started kicking my fins, I just readjusted the vest. It worked great, infact I outlasted all the other experienced people in my group. The only reason I came back to the Southern Caribbean beach was because my under water camera battery ran out. So if you have a big chest and gut, better get the large.
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My successful experience was to get an XL for fit and comfort and then use a cord belt to secure the vest around my waist to prevent it from riding up when I dived. That worked best for me. Good luck and enjoy.
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It does have a very small amount of buoyancy even when empty but was able to dive 20ft repeatedly at underwater museum in cancun. It also did work well to partially inflate and view from surface on shallow reefs. We have tried a couple different brands of vest and these are hands down the best.
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Hey Luis:I am 6-0, 235 so I hear you. Short answer is it will be kind of tight, but you could probably make it work. I leave the seat out bc it takes room and isn't necessary and also zip up the cockpit cover AFTER I'm in the boat and it seems to work out OK. I"ve taken it out for 2-3 hours and been fine. I honestly don't know what other kayak I'd recommend. One reason I got this was at 10 feet long, it was among the longest inflatables I found.
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If you don't place ballast in the compartment it will stay afloat just fine. Sometimes I use mine just to take my anchor float out from the shore. great for saving your strength on shore dives.........Larry
2231744
If you can swim without a flotation device, you will have no problem with this unit keeping you above water. If you were not conscious, you would not sink, but it may not keep your face free of water. If you cannot swim you should not depend on an inflatable device
886873
Yes. The blue rubber in the middle is enough to keep it afloat. Also it works pretty good in my kayak.
1730804
My daughter used it with her son and she said it was the best life jacket she has ever used. The other he kept slipping out of. As for floating on the back I don't know. It defiantly kept his face out of the water.
1335497
The jacket is highly adjustable. That said, it should adjust that much, I am 5'7" and weigh 210 Lb. I think that the adjustment is there. As for how the jacket reacts in the water I really can't say as I haven't been in the water with it on. I use it on my boat and thankfully haven't had to test that feature. I would think, for me, it would preform well as the fit is good. I can say that for a life vest it is fairly comfortable to wear.