Andrew S wrote:
"Serge" wrote in message
om...

http://www.sospenders.com/product/8030206.html

Looks like a good idea, but how does it work in emergency?
They claim 22 to 35lb buoyancy.

Some have manual inflater if CO2 cartridge fails.
Some have pockets and even D-rings (makes it a harness too).

It does not make you hot and does not restrict movement.
It does not even cost more than good life jacket.

Where is the catch?

IMHO for the jacket to be effective (as a true safety device) it needs to
contain the automatic inflation system.

Why? This seems to assume that you expect your normal PFD to protect you
even in the event of an accident that leaves you incapacitated to the
extent that you can't even pull the cord on the inflatable vest.
Unfortunately the Type III PFDs that are used by almost all paddlers are
also not designed to be effective for an incapacitated person. Unlike a
Type I, they are not certified to roll you over and keep your face out of
the water (and even a Type I might well be ineffective if you're still
partly inside your kayak).

The regular PFDs we use for paddling already assume that we'll take some
deliberate actions to get and keep our heads above water - the additional
need to pull the cord is a pretty small additional action. The exception
I see is when spending time surfing in rock-garden areas where the PFD
(along with a helmet) needs to protect against impacts as well as provide
bouyancy. In that case a regular foam PFD is clearly superior since rock
impacts can happen without enough time or water contact to inflate even the
automatic CO2 PFDs and those could also fail due to punctures in such
conditions.

So when I get an inflatable I plan to keep my current PFD and use it on
those trips where I consider a helmet to be necessary. But for most trips
I would rather use the inflatable type.