Not even sure this belongs here...-gctid353029

[Guest]

So I have the 2455, and have added a Sea-Doo GTX @ 215 HP to the fleet. Being as anal as I am, I decided to join a few PWC forums, and BOY - O - BOY did I get an education.

The things you can learn by reading are absolutely amazing. I thought I was all set and ready to drop it in and hit 70+ MPH when I needed a thrill. Anyway - I started to do research on PFD's, and I was a bit shocked to see that most of the department store types are really sub par. Walmart & West Marine sell some nice vests right? Cheap, comfortable, and easy to get on. BUT - what impact rating are they? Do you all know that they are rated for 25-40 MPH? I know my boat does mid 40's, and I was wearing a West Marine PFD. After talking to some people online, I found that most boater's and PWC operators are really taking chances with their lives. If you are 40+ MPH on the boat, tubing, skiing, wake boarding then you really need to do some research into the PFD's that you are wearing!

I decided that safety was a real concern, so I adopted a new line of PFD's to the inventory. I know it is costly.. 140.00 per, but really? $140.00 to have a vest that can take an impact up to 100 MPH, with a neck brace - seams pretty simple to me based on all of the drowning's I see in the news every year. The vest I chose was the Mustang MV5600SO. It is rated at 100 MPH impact, has a flotation rating of 22.5 lbs, and has pockets and rings for a GPS, whistle and a VHF. I took my West Marine PFD over to my friend Mark's house to do some tests. I paid 69 bucks for it, and it is a USCG Class III (rated at 15.5 Lbs flotation) Being winter we could not test it in the real world so we used his hot tub, and his weight bench from the basement. The WM vest took 10 Lbs of weight and sunk like a rock to the bottom. The Mustang vest took 25 Lbs to get it to sink. I know this was not a scientific test, but I was shocked. I have had my wife and kids in these vests! The Mustang was rated at 22.5 - and it took 25 to sink it. Anyway, moral of the story is that you get what you pay for, and I hope that all of you look into the PFD's that you carry, and test them for a real world rating. Seeing that WM vest sink with only 10 Lbs of weight was a real shocker.

Attached files [img]/media/kunena/attachments/vb/655880=24825-MUSMV5600SOBKL-1-24-large.jpg[/img]

[Nikko]

Mustang's always made good stuff..

nice to know the secret's getting out....

[Guest]

If you are concerned about safety I would also strongly suggest neoprene shorts for each rider ESPECIALLY any passengers. A lot of injuries go unreported in the media unless it results in death but my wife was a paramedic in our town and saw more than a couple serious injuries from the passenger of a SeaDoo falling off the back and the jet of water injuring there internal, and external, organs through forced water entry in a not so comfortable place. Neoprene shorts are the recommended precaution for this situation. People usually try to prevent drowning when someone falls off but this is usually never heard or thought of. Just food for thought

[Guest]

Devildog9999 wrote:
It is rated at 100 MPH impact, has a flotation rating of 22.5 lbs, and has pockets and rings for a GPS, whistle and a VHF.

It sounds like you've chosen a MUCH better product. That extra reserve buoyancy sure is nice, especially when you're unconscious. Will that Mustang model will roll you over?

Most people are very close to neutrally bouyant right out of the package and don't need much help to float. One of the skills you have to demonstrate for Scuba training is 5 minutes treading water, no dive gear on, holding a 10lb lead brick above water. It's hard work for anyone who's really lean.

If you hit the water at 100mph, you might need some help getting that VHF up to your mouth. If you can find the VHF. Or your mouth.

[itsabowtime2]

Did you check out Seadoo Forums? That is where I learned everything I needed to know on my XP's engine rebuild.

[Guest]

whiskywizard wrote:
It sounds like you've chosen a MUCH better product. That extra reserve buoyancy sure is nice, especially when you're unconscious. Will that Mustang model will roll you over?

Most people are very close to neutrally bouyant right out of the package and don't need much help to float. One of the skills you have to demonstrate for Scuba training is 5 minutes treading water, no dive gear on, holding a 10lb lead brick above water. It's hard work for anyone who's really lean.

If you hit the water at 100mph, you might need some help getting that VHF up to your mouth. If you can find the VHF. Or your mouth.

lol! Yeah, I have no need nor the desire to see any speeds on the water like that. Mid 40's on the boat is fast enough for me. It is nice to know though that if I do get tossed overboard that I will actually still have a vest on me. Not sure if this is a roll over, I kind of doubt it at a type III rating. I just want to know that I will not be naked when I hit the water. There are a lot of stories of 1st hand experience that tell of finally gaining consciousness or catching their breath only to find out that the PFD was ripped off their body at impact.

[Guest]

I am really surprised to see the lack of response to this thread. There must be a bunch of people that have the cheaper vests and think they are OK. On the PWC sites, this is gospel, but in a boating environment I guess we are all safe because we are "IN" it, rather than "ON" it.