Opinions on specific personal flotation devices

[Poopdeck 0]

That's three. I wonder who the other two are? Nice fish

[Dave G. 0]

They say that just when you get most comfortable around the water is when you let your guard down and the unthinkable happens. We have had enough deaths around these parts to convince me of that. This was an old fishing village along the way, still is for some, it's a big bay out here and stuff happens.

 

My dad was an X sailor WW2, he taught me to respect the water, he said we don't know the power out there.

[Bimini15 0]

I honestly don't wear a PFD, but I always have it at arm's reach.

In my defense, I do not venture in any significant chop, current or in remote areas with my canoe and kayak.

It is almost beyond my comprehension that people go out into the salt looking for pelagics on tiny plastic boats like mine.

[Meeshka 0]

Can't swim so I always wear one. At the very minimal its a CO2 inflatable like Mikes - I like it for rivers. If in my punt its generally a coast guard approved vest. And I even have one for my dog too!

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

An average day for me (like today) has me running more than seventy miles round trip into the backcountry of Everglades National Park (where it's just jungle everywhere. Most days I have one or two anglers aboard - and none of us are wearing our PFDs (17' Maverick skiff, 90hp E-Tec motor). I know that if I break down no one will even come looking for us until the following day (the Park is roughly 90 miles by 90 miles - a big place in a small skiff...). The PFDs will only come out when I think they're needed (and that's been a rare event in the last twenty years working the Park). On my own it's a different proposition - my kid (he'll be 30 this winter) bought me a Mustang inflatable and I do wear it now while running solo. My PLB (personal locator beacon) is lanyarded to my belt and it's with me always when I'm on the water (years and years ago I held a commercial hook and line ticket and ranged as far as 30 miles into the Gulfstream, solo, with very little in the way of decent safety gear) - but I'm a lot older now and determined that at the very least my family will have a body if one of these days I come up a bit short and don't make it home.... Don't laugh - no body no insurance settlement (or any thing else your family might be needing the day you cash in your chips....