Servicing SOSpenders
 

Another disagreement my wife and I have is over servicing the
SOSpender inflatable lifejackets we all wear. When we bought them
years ago, the directions said to replace the cartridge every 3 yrs or
so (she insists it was every year). We did this for awhile having the
kids jump in the water every year to get em used to them inflating.
After awhile, it occurred to me that this said nothing about whether
they would work and replacing the arming device did nothing either.
There is no way tell if a cartridge is good short of taking it out and
examining it (which I do) and if the auto-inflate gadget with
dissolvable thing has already dissolved, it woulda inflated. So, I
see no reason to do anything more than simply inspect them. She
insists on replacing the cartridge and auto-inflate dissolving thing.
At roughly $14 each times 5 units gives $75 which seems like a waste
other than the experience of having them inflate to see what it feels
like. Thoughts?

Servicing SOSpenders
 

On Feb 10, 6:08 pm, wrote:
Another disagreement my wife and I have is over servicing the
SOSpender inflatable lifejackets we all wear. ... Thoughts?

You might read the FAQ:
http://www.sospenders.com/faqs.php#faq_3.

They also have the manuals in pdf on the web site.

-- Tom.

Servicing SOSpenders
 

On Feb 10, 11:39 pm, " wrote:
On Feb 10, 6:08 pm, wrote:

Another disagreement my wife and I have is over servicing the
SOSpender inflatable lifejackets we all wear. ... Thoughts?

You might read the FAQ:http://www.sospenders.com/faqs.php#faq_3.

They also have the manuals in pdf on the web site.

-- Tom.

Wow, what a change from years ago when we bought them.

Servicing SOSpenders
 

wrote in message
...
Another disagreement my wife and I have is over servicing the
SOSpender inflatable lifejackets we all wear. When we bought them
years ago, the directions said to replace the cartridge every 3 yrs or
so (she insists it was every year). We did this for awhile having the
kids jump in the water every year to get em used to them inflating.
After awhile, it occurred to me that this said nothing about whether
they would work and replacing the arming device did nothing either.
There is no way tell if a cartridge is good short of taking it out and
examining it (which I do) and if the auto-inflate gadget with
dissolvable thing has already dissolved, it woulda inflated. So, I
see no reason to do anything more than simply inspect them. She
insists on replacing the cartridge and auto-inflate dissolving thing.
At roughly $14 each times 5 units gives $75 which seems like a waste
other than the experience of having them inflate to see what it feels
like. Thoughts?


You don't have to replace the CO2 cartridge unless it's either obviously
damaged or corroded. If you're unsure, you could weigh it or just replace it
(might as well be careful). You should inspect the pill that's supposed to
melt when it contacts H2O frequently. It should be replaced every year (and
it's very inexpensive to do so) at a minimum and definitely if is other than
perfect looking. You can test the PFD's ability to float by removing the
pill and manually inflating the vest. Put it under a couch cushion
overnight. If it's still inflated, the PFD is fine.



--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

Servicing SOSpenders
 

(she insists it was every year).

At roughly $14 each times 5 units gives $75 which seems like a waste

This, combined with the other posts, starts shedding light on the wife's
perspective.

As an aside, as a boat owner and a spouse, if all it costs if $75 to allay
the wife's fears then THAT'S GETTING OFF CHEAP.

If she's not "getting the hang of" sailing, but is paying attention to
safety stuff like this then I'd wonder about how comfortable she is on the
boat AT ALL. Some folks just do not take well to being on the water.
Those that like being on the water often fail to notice this. Raise the
possibility of your wife taking sailing lessons, with one of HER OWN
friends, not you and not with the daughters.

Nobody likes to make mistakes in front of people they know. Learning to do
something often means admitting there are parts of doing something that you
didn't understand or have been doing wrong. Making those admissions in
front of someone you're PAYING to help you is quite a lot easier than doing
it in front of friends or family. But unless there's an open and unbiased
atmosphere for learning then, well, no learning will happen.

That and I've also heard plenty of stories where one spouse, upon taking
lessons, learns just how many mistakes the other has been making over the
years. It's a double-edged sword. Be prepared to be humble as she
out-sails you. Then YOU get to sit back and relax as the passenger!

-Bill Kearney