08-13-2010, 05:14 AM
Inflatable PFDs are legal to use in rivers, but are not recommended for rough water because they are type III devices. The only types recommended for rough water are those huge bulky things that most anglers don't like to wear. You can see the PFD requirements for ID here:
http://www.boat-ed.com/id/course/p4-7_pfds.htm
As for unwanted inflation, it depends on the design of the life preserver. Some of them are better about not inflating under light moisture than others. Some are also easier to rearm than others. You can see a demonstration here:
[url "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRB4lu2Zcaw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRB4lu2Zcaw[/url]
When I lived near Seattle, a guy drowned in one of the lakes I used to fish on a calm day. It was a very small lake, no more than 20 acres. The guy knew how to swim and was not wearing a PFD. They figured he must have lost his balance and somehow hit his head on the boat when he fell overboard.
Personally, I would not rely on any PFD that required action from the wearer to provide flotation. Either get an automatic inflatable, or stick with the foam ones.
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http://www.boat-ed.com/id/course/p4-7_pfds.htm
As for unwanted inflation, it depends on the design of the life preserver. Some of them are better about not inflating under light moisture than others. Some are also easier to rearm than others. You can see a demonstration here:
[url "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRB4lu2Zcaw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRB4lu2Zcaw[/url]
When I lived near Seattle, a guy drowned in one of the lakes I used to fish on a calm day. It was a very small lake, no more than 20 acres. The guy knew how to swim and was not wearing a PFD. They figured he must have lost his balance and somehow hit his head on the boat when he fell overboard.
Personally, I would not rely on any PFD that required action from the wearer to provide flotation. Either get an automatic inflatable, or stick with the foam ones.
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