Hybrid foam/inflatable life vests with harnesses

[N.A.]

Another thread reminded me that I had meant to post on this:

There are many views on harnesses / life vests; this is not to start that discussion but to discuss some options. I singlehand on/near SF Bay, so rescue is not unrealistic and a vest is fine IMHO, but outside the Gate I want a harness. Spinlock and others make inflatables with integrated harnesses, but I was looking for something with foam too, in case the inflation did not work, or I wanted to maneuver in the water (hard to do with a big inflated vest). And because I like the back-padding when I lean against the pushpit

There are lots of inflatables, but few with any foam. Baltic makes one, but it now has only ~50N of foam floatation (I think the EU standard), which is barely enough to keep your nose at_ the waterline, and that in smooth water. 70N (the US standard I think) only keeps your nose a couple of inches above, so not really out of the water if the water isn't flat... but better than 50N.

After a lot of looking, over some years, I ran across the Crewsaver "Inshore 380N" Lifejacket. It's a rescue-swimmer jacket, designed for some mobility in the water if you don't inflate it. After a season or so, I like it a good bit (n.b.: I am OK with a somewhat bulky lifevest.) It is pretty vest-like (turbocharged kayaker vest form factor), but has:
- 90N foam (nose probably reasonably out of water, and you can still swim/move a bit if necessary).
- 380N floatation total after pulling the inflator (now your head will be way out of the water even in waves)
- Integrated harness with secure-feeling metal quick-connect (as opposed to a belt you have to thread, or a plastic buckle.)
- Integrated crotch straps (which are very nice / easily unclippable to doff vest and easy to adjust on the fly.) Without those straps, no vest will work well -- it'll ride up that crucial couple of inches and now your nose is under water...
- Built-in spray hood and light (but no inflatable little light-pole like Spinlock has)
- Nice system for stowing tether out of the way inside the vest.

Anyway, YMMV, but I am pretty happy with it. I thought it might be too heavy, but I have never minded it even after 8 ish hours of wear while moving about a lot. It is, obviously, bulkier than a Spinlock (or a bare harness) -- if you want that "barely there" feel, no hybrid jacket will do it for you.

FYI, as far as I know, Baltic makes one of the only other foam/inflatable vests (currently called the 'Hybrid 220'), in case you are looking for something like this and starting your search. The Baltic has ~ 55N floam, 165N inflation for 220N total, and a different form-factor (looks harder to swim in, but easier to maybe stow some stuff (PLB) in. Both Baltic and Crewsaver are, I think, used by sea-rescue personnel in their respective countries. I ended up going Crewsaver.

Crewsaver Inshore 380N: https://crewsaver.com/uk/9326/leisure/lifejackets/155/Inshore380N
Baltic Hybrid 220: https://baltic.se/en/produkt/hybrid-220-auto-flytvast/#!

 

[Prairie Schooner]

Thanks N.A. I have a Crewsaver Ergofit 190-OS and like it a lot. It is comfortable for hours with some of the weight distributed to the back. I had a more standard Mustang suspender type for a five day transport from Bermuda to Maine and my neck and shoulders were killing me by the end. The 190-OS still offers plenty of freedom for when I when I crew on races. - HOWEVER, I've wondered how difficult it would be to assist in my own rescue if it were inflated. A very real possibility for deployment would be with Donna and me double-handed and it would be hard for her to haul me in, even with a block and tackle. These are interesting alternatives. I do notice that the Baltic is an auto-inflate. I wonder if it could even be switched to manual.

 

[N.A.]

Baltic makes a manual version too, I just grabbed the first link I hit:

Hybrid 220 Manuell Flytväst

Flytväst med kombinderat flytmaterial och uppblåsbar lunga med hela 220N flytkraft. Inspektionsfönster som med ventilens gröna indikatorer visar att flytvästen är laddad och klar för användning.

baltic.se

Crewsaver: I don't think it had an auto option, but I didn't want it anyway. As you probably thought too, much of the versatility is lost if it's auto, though you do still get the backup of foam plus inflatable.
PS: Approx. total weight of the Crewsaver Inshore 380N is 2.5 kg (had to ask them; not in datasheet). I find it fine to wear for extended times, as noted above.

Your comment reminds me I need to finish assembling my rescue block & tackle; I got the parts, but never assembled/tested/put in stuffsack...

 

[Christian Williams]

A distinction needs to be made between crewed boats and family boats (singlehanded or shorthanded boats).

In any weather, it is very unlikely that a spouse could successfully retrieve a MOB. Try it sometime. Such a spouse will have a life ruined.

A harness is the solution for shorthanded crews. Floatation sounds prudent, but provides false confidence. We are most likely to go overboard with full sail in a lively seaway. Consider lowering sail, starting engine, maneuvering back, locating the victim, and the mechanical issues of retrieval. They are daunting.

Remain attached to the boat. Rig a system that works. Everything else is secondary.

 

[Prairie Schooner]

A distinction needs to be made between crewed boats and family boats (singlehanded or shorthanded boats).

In any weather, it is very unlikely that a spouse could successfully retrieve a MOB. Try it sometime. Such a spouse will have a life ruined.

A harness is the solution for shorthanded crews. Floatation sounds prudent, but provides false confidence. We are most likely to go overboard with full sail in a lively seaway. Consider lowering sail, starting engine, maneuvering back, locating the victim, and the mechanical issues of retrieval. They are daunting.

Remain attached to the boat. Rig a system that works. Everything else is secondary.

Truth.
When Donna and I go outside Narragansett Bay I rig jacklines and use a tether. All our inflatable PFDs include harnesses.
The last time I did the Safety At Sea course it included live workshop sessions, one in a pool. It's not perfect, but better than nothing. I'm hoping the two of us can go through it together next year. It would definitely be difficult for one of us to get the other back in the boat if the MOB were unconscious. Something I'd like to practice. But yes, best to stay on the boat.