Bass Fishing Forum - Westernbass.com

I was just wondering if any one here has ever put there life jacket on, with there winter gear and jumped in to see if it will keep you afloat. Since my legs dont work I am reluctant to try this my self

Try this Jesse – this maybe what you’re looking for! This with your life vest is the ticket!

Mustang Survival Flotation Coat
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/store ... 0_225-17-0

i wouldnt rely on an inflatable...

especially as a para, as you have stated.

if you wear a regular full foam vest...then the worry is GONE.

Here in NY State, they have just enacted a law that ALL boaters of any age MUST wear a USCG approved PFD at all times while out on the water , if on a boat of 21 feet or less from the dates of Nov31-May1 to hopefully save some that may fall overbaord in our cold waters.

Yeah, I DO KNOW it will not prevent hypothermia...but that law MAY save some lives anyway.

I have tried this experiment with several different clothing configurations.
I am 6ft and 175, fit with low body fat. It was July and I was in my pool (which is a salt water pool which actually adds some buoyancy)
It was daytime and I entered the pool about 6/7 feet from the edge. I jumped in to duplicate falling overboard)

Summer dress:( light pants short sleeve shirt tennis shoes) Auto inflate sospenders. I was kept afloat and in warm water and not impeded in any way I could keep my face out of water and navigate to safety (the edge of the pool about 6 ft away)

Warmer clothing: Med weight long underwear, heavy pants, sweater, hoodie, hiking type boots. sospenders kept me barely afloat water in mouth difficult to keep my face out of water. After 10 minutes (clothes were fully soaked) I was barely able to negotiate back to the edge of the pool. BPS platinum full life vest kept my face out of the water and allowed me to work my way back to the edge of the pool quite easily.

Full winter gear: Med weight long underwear, insulated pants, sweater, jacket and Cabela's Guide Wear. sospenders might as well not have been wearing them, I actually sank below the water, not to the bottom but i was not able to keep my head above water. Full life jacket allowed me to keep my mouth and nose above the water but movement of any kind was next to impossible. REMEMBER this was on a nice warm day in a flat calm swimming pool. I would have been able to do nothing but bob around like a cork and hope for major assistance.

I didn't even bother to try my snowmobile suit which I have used at Shasta in January. That's just death if I go overboard.

I now put the sospenders away for winter. Pull out the real life vest and ask no questions. I can tell you it was a very scary feeling
and that was in my backyard in the summer. Hope this helps.

adman wrote:I have tried this experiment with several different clothing configurations.
I am 6ft and 175, fit with low body fat. It was July and I was in my pool (which is a salt water pool which actually adds some buoyancy)
It was daytime and I entered the pool about 6/7 feet from the edge. I jumped in to duplicate falling overboard)

Summer dress:( light pants short sleeve shirt tennis shoes) Auto inflate sospenders. I was kept afloat and in warm water and not impeded in any way I could keep my face out of water and navigate to safety (the edge of the pool about 6 ft away)

Warmer clothing: Med weight long underwear, heavy pants, sweater, hoodie, hiking type boots. sospenders kept me barely afloat water in mouth difficult to keep my face out of water. After 10 minutes (clothes were fully soaked) I was barely able to negotiate back to the edge of the pool. BPS platinum full life vest kept my face out of the water and allowed me to work my way back to the edge of the pool quite easily.

Full winter gear: Med weight long underwear, insulated pants, sweater, jacket and Cabela's Guide Wear. sospenders might as well not have been wearing them, I actually sank below the water, not to the bottom but i was not able to keep my head above water. Full life jacket allowed me to keep my mouth and nose above the water but movement of any kind was next to impossible. REMEMBER this was on a nice warm day in a flat calm swimming pool. I would have been able to do nothing but bob around like a cork and hope for major assistance.

I didn't even bother to try my snowmobile suit which I have used at Shasta in January. That's just death if I go overboard.

I now put the sospenders away for winter. Pull out the real life vest and ask no questions. I can tell you it was a very scary feeling
and that was in my backyard in the summer. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the post something we all need to think about

That is a real eye opener!
Thanks for doing the tests, and posting the results.

This a great post and should be stickied in my opinion. Think about the people that don't wear any life jackets while on plane or in ruff water. I did this when I got my first boat and after a near death experience, that will never happen again. I have since then upgraded to a full size bass boat and always have the jacket. McLovin, thanks again for the post, Adam thank you for being someone who actually tested this, (on purpose).

Also remember to wear your inflatable vests OUTSIDE of your jackets!

Thank you guys for the reply. That is what I was afraid of. Looks like I need to start shoping for a better life jacket. Marty I will look in to that one you posted. Thanks again

Hey Jesse, Come on over and bring all your cold weather gear. I got a swimming pool and a rope! We'll get ya all geared up and i'll wheel ya in!!

YES, you WILL float!!
We have to do all kinds of training (US Marine) and I have done this with MANY layers on...it keeps your mind at ease, I know.
Jigs

Too bad I didn't see thiis before heading to the show today - could have asked 'Splash' Brown if he'd volunteer to try it for you as part of his awareness campaign!

Just kidding - great seeing you today Jessie, and glad you asked the question. It is extremely important to you, but also to the rest of us as a.) often those who end up in the water are unconscious, and b.) hypothermia can set in quickly and hamper the ability to swim or tread water.

We should put this to the test later this year and film it for WB TV - sounds like a good project (once the water warms up!!!).

Roger

tunaman wrote:Too bad I didn't see thiis before heading to the show today - could have asked 'Splash' Brown if he'd volunteer to try it for you as part of his awareness campaign!

Just kidding - great seeing you today Jessie, and glad you asked the question. It is extremely important to you, but also to the rest of us as a.) often those who end up in the water are unconscious, and b.) hypothermia can set in quickly and hamper the ability to swim or tread water.

We should put this to the test later this year and film it for WB TV - sounds like a good project (once the water warms up!!!).

Roger

I think this is something that should be, (tested more/stickied) or brought to more people's attention more just to be a little more safe. I know it sounds wuss. But when you are doing 65mpr, more or less, on a lake that the water line changes week by week, well we should all be aware that it can hurt.

We just never think it is going to happen to us. Trust me i thought I was invincible, Till one accident changed my life. I think I am going to the pool at my gym this weekend and give my life jacket a try.

McLovin wrote:We just never think it is going to happen to us. Trust me i thought I was invincible, Till one accident changed my life. I think I am going to the pool at my gym this weekend and give my life jacket a try.

We all should, and then jerk some lip.

Thanks Adman, this should be a eye opener for all of us. we trust those SOS way too much, even tho they are good and for light clothing super.
But going to heavy winter/fall stuff, we had better put on the old
time proven really good PFD's. Bill K

Google Fleece Corner.com, They have gear called, Arctic Armor, that will float you, not cheap, but what is a life worth?This stuff is made for cold weather activities around water.

Thank you Bruce that is what I am looking for. I called them today and will be ordering mine on monday. You guys need to watch that video. The price is cheaper than BPS suits.

just ordered a mustang jacket. Only thing is I am having a hard time finding a storm hood for it.

Like said, what is a life worth? the stuff is not cheap but I am certian I will not be thinking about the price if and when my body goes overboard. Prolly should get the bibs as well.

Forget the Float Coat, get the Immersion suit; you totally catch more fish when you look like a big red Gumby

Glad this worked for you. Please let me know what you think of the arctic armor suit when you get it. Did you order your regular size or do you have to order one size bigger? Thanks Bruce.