Poor build quality of life jackets.

[kerny]

Originally Posted by Chris Caton

+ 1 Kerny I've just ordered two new lifejackets which when they arrived I was dissapointed in, they are supposed to comfortable to wear all day but I found them heavy after only a few minutes. When I opened the jacket up to check the gas cannister etc it was like a nightmare re-packing it, which does not bode well for future use. Also, I ordered 2 replacement gas kits to keep on the rib, just in case, both of which have expiry dates for dec 2014. I'm ringing up to day to organise sending them back, shame really as they are not cheap LJ's, I was hoping for better to be honest

Hi Chris, what make are they if you don't mind me asking ?

[Chris Caton]

Originally Posted by kerny

Hi Chris, what make are they if you don't mind me asking ?

Hi Steve, I'll PM you

[mick]

Originally Posted by Chris Caton

Hi Steve, I'll PM you

Come on then

[Chris Caton]

Originally Posted by mick

Come on then

wot, u want PM too

[mick]

Originally Posted by Chris Caton

wot, u want PM too

Thanks

[HUMBER P4VWL]

Me too mr smooth, debating a couple new ones.


Are the 190 heavier than the 150? Are 150 not enough?

I was looking at the ones 250kts uses.

[Ribochet]

The following Mailspeed Marine link will bring you to a PBO test of 9 "Lifejacket alternatives" which relates well with the OP - happy reading

http://www.mailspeedmarine.com/photo...ket%20test.pdf

From a personal viewpoint I was impressed with the quality of a Secumar LJ that I recently tested.

[kerny]

Originally Posted by Ribochet

The following Mailspeed Marine link will bring you to a PBO test of 9 "Lifejacket alternatives" which relates well with the OP - happy reading

http://www.mailspeedmarine.com/photo...ket%20test.pdf

From a personal viewpoint I was impressed with the quality of a Secumar LJ that I recently tested.

Good reading many thanks for that Ribochet I was impressed with the positive remarks on the PFD's they tested.

[SPR]

good article - seasafe got good right up- 2009 the new models are out now!

S.

[IanH]

Completely independently of this, I bought a Secumar Ultra AX at the boatshow yesterday. I had not heard of them until yesterday but I spent ages with the 'sales person' (actually friend of a Secumar employee who is an RNLI safely officer) and whilst he could not endorse any products, he said that he personally owned a Secumar. I only just spotted in the review above that it had a 10 year warranty (far longer than any of the other tested LJ's) but what was mentioned yesterday although that it was entirely made in Germany from German components. It certainly looks well made even when inflated and built to last.

After trying it on, setting it off whilst wearing, donning spray hood etc etc etc I decided to go with the one with spray hood. The only downside that I can see is lack of pockets for radio/PLB but there are alternatives to that. What really swung it for me was the ability to easily and officially swap between manual and automatic, although that choice needs to be made before setting out. The other thing about this lifejacket that was mentioned was the bayonet fit of the cylinder - apparently a large number of lifejackets fail RNLI safety checks due to the cylinder slightly unscrewing over time. This cannot happen with this lifejacket.

[hobbit555]

Securmar lifejackets, excellent, a company I used to work for issued them to all crew

[m chappelow]

slightly of topic but last year decided to cut open -- (I needed a sample of Kapock for one of my RNLI education talks in a school )-- my old quadrant bouyancy aid that me old man bought for me in 1964

not much on offer in those days for kids ,
unless you wanted an old ex pilots mae west or a large kapock ex mechant navy(victory) lifejacket Titanic style,

i know from years ago they were deemed unsafe & its been stored for over 30 years so thinking that it was kapock filled cut it open ,
to say my parents thought i would be safe was an understatement ,

Bouyancy,,normal domestic type open cell foam sponge that soaked up water & were not even in sealed polythene bags just the tops folded over .lol.

perhaps i might have been safer with the old ex gov mae west after all lol.
bottom pic with a just about same type of foam pan scrubber alongside .
there must have been thousands of these made in the 1960s right up to the 1970s .