HOW TO PICK A PFD
In the 1960s and 70s I was hooked on whitewater canoeing. When I moved to Minnesota in 1977, I joined the Minnesota Canoe Association, and a sub-club called the "Rapid Riders." In those days, we mostly paddled 17-foot Grumman's with shoe-keels, though there were some fiberglass C-1s and C-2s. I especially loved the C-1's which, in those days, had a simple bench seat (no foam pedestals then), knee pads and thigh straps, and compared to the Grumman's, they turned on a dime.
The most recommended life jacket then was the French made Flotherchoc--a trim, tubular style vest which looked a bit like an accordion. Flotation was provided by air-filled plastic tubes which were sewn into compartments inside the nylon shell. The International Canoe Federation (ICF) required 13 pounds of flotation, and the Flotherchoc was right on target. It was so comfortable you could barely detect its presence. It was extremely popular with serious whitewater boaters.
I lusted for one of these French PFDs, but the cost (about 40 dollars in those days) was beyond my means. I settled instead for a U.S. made Stearns panel vest, which was much less comfortable. But it did have more flotation and, unlike the Flotherchoc, the foam panels would not lose buoyancy over time.
PFDs have improved significantly since the 1970s. But comfort-wise, I mourn the passing of the tubular-style models. The many short tubes of those vests followed every contour of your body. They clung less tightly than modern panel-type vests, so they were cool to wear in July heat. And the narrow tubes were unobtrusive--you felt like you were wearing a light down vest instead of a life jacket. Admittedly, they weren't as buoyant as modern models. But they were reliable on lakes and in the Class I-II rapids most people paddle.
The beauty of the old tubular vests is that they were cool and comfortable enough to wear all day. Maybe I'm just built wrong, but I have yet to find a modern PFD that feels as good on my body as my ancient British Harishok.*
FLOTATION: HOW MUCH DO YOU NEED?
In 1972, U.S. PFD manufacturers “went to war” over the ICF’s 13-pound flotation requirement, claiming that amount of buoyancy wasn’t enough for safety, especially in moving water. The Coast Guard agreed and raised the U.S. standard to 15 pounds for Type II and III adult PFDs (most Type III's actually had 15.5 pounds). The change was very unpopular with accomplished paddlers because the new vests were bulkier and less comfortable than the trimmer 13-pound models they were used to wearing.
Why did the U.S. stand firm on the 15-pound rule when foreign paddlers were perfectly happy with less buoyant vests? Many thought it was to create a monopoly for American PFD manufacturers. With the stroke of a pen, those wonderfully comfortable European PFDs became extinct in the U.S.A.
COMFORT
A comfortable fit is EVERYTHING! How the vest feels on your body is as important as its performance in water. For these reasons, it's best not to buy a life vest by mail. Sizing, cut, flexibility and utility vary widely from manufacturer to manufacturer. Models vary; what fits a long-waisted person won’t fit a short-waisted person, which is why you need to try it before you buy it! Here's how to test the fit of a PFD that catches your fancy.
TESTING THE FIT
Put on the PFD and snug the straps “comfortably tight.” Then, grasp the jacket by the shoulders and lift it upwards until the fabric jams under your armpits. This simulates performance (ride up) in water. Now turn your head right and left. You should be looking over the vest, not at it! You should have a clear view all around. Does the V-neck of the vest crunch against your chin? If so, keep shopping.
PFDs which force the chin up may have a more positive righting moment than do those which don't, but they hinder maneuverability in water--exactly what you don't want when you must swim a rapid!
Arm function: Take a seat. This test won't work while standing or kneeling. Work your arms vigorously in a circular motion. A vest that chafes under your armpits will be intolerable to wear over the long haul. Short-waisted people (commonly women) will have trouble here. If a jacket chafes anywhere, don’t buy it!
Flexibility: Hold your arms chest high and draw them smartly inward as far as possible. Does the vest bunch up in front and cramp arm motion? If so, it's not for you!
Breathability: Give breathability serious thought, more so, if most of your paddling is in the heat of summer. Yes, a tight-fitting PFD that hugs your body is safer than a loose-fitting one that rides up in water. Still, you may have to compromise for the sake of comfort. Ideally, the vest should be easy to loosen for air flow on hot days yet be quickly snugged up when there is rough water ahead. Models that are tough to adjust will probably be worn loose, which can be dangerous if you capsize in a rapid.
Easy on, easy off: Some of the best whitewater vests are form-fitting over-the-head or side-zip models which are a pain to put on and take off. This is acceptable where safety in rough water is the main concern. But if you're canoeing where frequent portages are the rule, you will want an easy on, easy off PFD. For me, that means a conventional vertical zipper at the front.
A note about altitude: Things expand at lower pressure, which means the higher you go in altitude the THICKER your PFD will become. I discovered this on a trip to Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone Lake is nearly 8,000 feet above sea level. My home in Wisconsin is 790 feet above sea level. My Harishok foam-filled PFD, which fit perfectly back home suddenly became too small. Yes, I wore it, mostly unzipped for comfort (bad plan).
Color: Choose a bright color that will contrast against the water. You want to be seen, and fast, if you capsize. In Canada, a bright colored PFD is the law.
LEVEL 50 LIFE JACKETS—THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
Paddlers have a saying: “Canoeists” always wear their life jackets; “canoers” never do!
Spend time in Minnesota’s Boundary waters and you’ll notice that most paddlers aren’t wearing life jackets. That choice can have tragic consequences. There have been a dozen drownings in the BWCA over the past ten years. Nationwide, more than 3,000 people have drowned in boating-related accidents during that same period. Around 80 percent of them were not wearing life jackets!
Why do so many people refuse to wear PFDs? Because they are bulky, hot, and uncomfortable!
result has been a dozen Boundary Waters over the past ten years.
Enter the new “Level 50” life jackets which provide 50 Newtons (11.2) pounds of buoyancy. The result is a thin, trim, airy “buoyancy aid” that people will willingly wear. These new vests should be available in the spring of 2027. BUT, they will be Coast Guard “approved” for recreational paddling ONLY if you are wearing them. Unlike Type III vests, you can’t just store them under the seat of your canoe and be “legal.”
Note: Type III PFDs are designed to float an unconscious swimmer “face up”—a nice feature if you bang your head and go blank in a rapid. Level 50 models will not turn you face up, which is why those who wear them should know how to swim. Level III buoyancy aids ARE NOT for dangerous waters!
IF YOU CAPSIZE!
Standard procedure for floating rapids is to get on your back, feet held high to prevent somersaulting in the current. Use your feet and paddle to ward off rocks and try to back ferry yourself to shore. In this attitude, the flotation foam on your chest is worthless. Back floatation is everything. So, reject any PFD that has a skimpy or skeleton foam back.
XXX
My flagship book, CANOEING WILD RIVERS, 5th Edition (30th Anniversary Edition), details how to safely canoe difficult rivers. Advice from 35 of North America’s top wilderness paddlers will get you pointed right. This latest Edition includes a chapter on paddling desert and tropical rivers.
*My book CAMPING'S TOP SECRETS, 2022 revision, details practical camping tips and procedures that only the experts know. If you know just a few of these tricks, you'll be a hero to your friends!
*My teen book, JUSTIN CODY'S RACE TO SURVIVAL! mixes a fictional wilderness survival tale with practical outdoor tips everyone should know—a first for books of this type. Adults love it too! Now available as an audiobook! A film is in the works.
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