Cedar Valley Walleye Club Forum

Has anyone had any experience with these... I know you have to wear them if they are to be counted toward required number of PFD's... Are they worth the etra expense? Which brand is best? Any thoughts at all...

I have a couple of them. They are the cabela's brand. I think the 2500 series. I have jumped in the water with one to make sure and I floated so they seems to work well.

I have been told that they only count as a pfd when they are worn.

I have a Mustang. There are a couple of different type of triggers used. One type uses a tablet that will dissolve when it gets wet and set off the vest. The other uses a pressure sensor that requires the sensor to be under a few inches of water before it will go off. The advantage of the pressure sensor is that it will not go off if it gets wet from raining. The advantage of the tablet is that it is cheaper to buy and cheaper to rearm.

The Mustang was a little pricey by very comfortable to wear. Because of the comfort I find I wear it far more often that I used to any other vest. On another note, I have not found anything in the USCG or Iowa regulations that state you are required to wear an inflatable to count. I think it depends on the specific unit. If they have been tested and approved as a type 1, 2, 3 or 5 and they do not have a label stating they have to be worn to count, I think they count.

Try a few on to see how well they fit - you will be more apt to wear a good fitting vest and a few extra dollars may be worth the investment.

Thank you all for great information! They must be worn ... See the link below for legal requirements for inflatable pfd's. I'm sure this is due to them being nearly impossible to put on after they inflate.

http://sailing.about.com/od/lawsregulat ... Dlegal.htm

I am not sure how old that article is and the author does not site his sources. It may be that when they first came out, they were required to be worn. My reference has been the USCG and Iowa DNR sites.

The following links only reference that it must be approved, accessible and serviceable to be counted.

http://uscgboating.org/recreational-boa ... jacket.php

Page 12 of the Iowa boating laws also makes no reference to having to wear them.

https://www.boat-ed.com/assets/pdf/hand ... entire.pdf

Also, I cannot find anything in the Mustang manual that says it must be worn.

The following is from the Mustang manual - it states that inflatable must be worn on Commercial vessels to count but makes no reference to that in the recreation section.
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Recreational - This Inflatable PFD is approved by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) for use as a Type III Personal Flotation Device (PFD). It is not approved for water skiing or other high impact, high-speed activities.
This Inflatable PFD was designed to be more comfortable and less restrictive to wear than inherently buoyant PFDs. When worn, used, and serviced according to this owner’s manual, this Inflatable PFD can greatly increase your chances of survival in the water. Not recommended for non-swimmers or weak swimmers. Users of inflatable PFDs must be at least 16 years old.
Commercial - Models MD2014 and MD2016 are U.S. Coast Guard approved Type V inflatable PFDs, approved ONLY WHEN WORN for use on uninspected commercial vessels less than 40 feet in length not carrying passengers for hire as a substitute for a Type III PFD when used in accordance with this owner’s manual.
Conditions for Type V Approval in commercial applications:
1. The Inflatable PFD must be worn before getting underway and whenever above deck and not within an enclosed space to meet the carriage requirement.
2. The operator of an uninspected commercial vessel is responsible for servicing and maintaining the Inflatable PFD in good serviceable condition in accordance with this owner’s manual. See Care and Maintenance Instructions for servicing information.
3. The operator of an uninspected commercial vessel is responsible for providing each person onboard with the safety information required for use of the Inflatable PFD. See page 1 for information.

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Main point is that the best approach it to have any life jacket on vs just accessible........

Thanks for the clarification.. You have done a lot of research. After further investigation of Minnesota boating law, apparently the lable on the PFD tells weather it must be worn.. I found nothing in Iowa law. This might be a good topic for discussion at a meeting. Is it possible this varies from state to state?

They do vary slightly by state. For the most part states adopt the USCG rules and modify as they see fit. The link below summarizes laws by state. Click on section 4.9 Life Jackets and it will list each state.

http://www.uscgboating.org/regulations/ ... g-laws.php

Fantastic resource. Thanks for sharing!