Comp Vest Choosing

[Shortstack]

Preface: This is my first post so I don't know if its in the right section.

 

I've decided that its time for me to get a new comp life vest to replace my old one (O'neill Gooru, which I think is a 2010. I bought the life vest from my ski coach, so I don't know the year). The thing thats stopping me from buying right away is that I'm clueless when it comes to ski vests, and I'm cheap. I don't want to end up accidentally falling into the trap of just buying the vest that looks the best. So, here are the ones that I'm looking at....

 

O'neill: Gooru, Techno, Slasher

HO: Syndicate Vest

Camaro: Impact

Radar: Legend

Stokes: EVO

Eagle: Something

 

With the O'neill vests, I dislike the look of the Techno and I've read reviews where the Slasher doesn't last. The Gooru I don't have a problem with, and is one of my leading choices, but I'm looking for something with a zipper. The only problem I have with the Syndicate Vest is that I currently ski on a Syndicate, and I don't want to look like a person who will buy anything because it says Syndicate on it. The Camaro vest looks good to me, but I don't know much about Camaro vests. The problem I have with the Radar vest is that I don't think that it would stay white if I use it in my lake. I don't have a problem with the Stokes Evo, other than the fact that I've never heard of Stokes. Finally, I've always heard good things about Eagle vests, but I'm not a huge fan of the styling.

 

Not knowing much about new life vests, I'm hoping that you skiers can steer me in the right direction to buying a new life vest. Thanks in advance.

[MattP]

First if all welcome to the site!

 

If you are buying a best based on price -How much is your life worth to you...?

 

The Radar Vests hold up well. I would recommend the Vapor vest over the legend just based on the color. They are an awesome company who stands behind their products

 

The Camaro vest is solid I have a number if friends with it. It is a contender for my next vest.

 

The Stokes Vest I hear is really nice and is also a contender for my next vest. I hear the quality is very high end and the owner of the company is a pro skier.

 

Eagle are good vests another company owned by skiers. You can custom their vests any what you like. I have owned one for 5+? Years.

 

The HO vests are also good.

 

I personally don't usually like the way the O'Neal look. I have plenty of friends who love them.

 

All of these companies stand behind their products and will do their best to help you if there is a issue with the product. They take vest design seriously because it is a safety device. Hell get the HO if you are on a HO ski. Who cares if it matches or doesn't that my friend is up to you.

[The_MS]

http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Liquid-Force-Mens-Cardigan-Comp-Wakeboard-Vest&i=711339

 

This is the best vest I have owned. Quality and fit are top notch.

[Rup]

I love my silver Eagle vest.

[andjules]

If you happen to fit a men's small: '13 Radar Decibel $45

[Shortstack]

Thanks for the advice. My concern about being cheap is that I didn't know if the more expensive vests were worth the more expensive price, or if the cheaper vest is actually the better vest. I didn't want to just jump and buy the Eagle if the Syndicate vest was better.

 

Right now I'm heavily considering the Syndicate, Stokes, Camaro and Eagle (of my original choices). The last tournament I went to, there was two of us that weren't using an Eagle Vest (and we were both using O'neill), so I'm slightly biased. I considered the Ronix Impact One, which is the Radar Legend just in green, but I didn't want to look like a salad, though the vest with L.E.D.s did look interesting....

 

@MS, I considered that vest at one point, but I have a friend who owns one, who disliked it. His was a model year older though. I would try his, but he's a bigger size. I'll look into the Cardigan though.

 

@Rup, Do you think the Silver Vest is worth $50 more dollars than the Bird of Prey, or would it be a better idea to stick with a vest that is Bird of Prey esque.

 

@andjules, I was actually looking at the Radar Decibel vest a couple of months ago (in winter), but I didn't jump on it. I am a men's small, so that's a contender now two. Decisions, decisions.....

 

[gregy]

Anyone have the Stokes EVO they look really nice. Wondering how they float. My eagle barely keeps my head above water. Camaro floats great but its starting to stretch out after a few seasons.

[Waternut]

Take note of how much padding the Eagle vests have if you're looking at them. They all seem to have different padding thicknesses.

 

I owned the 2012 Radar Decibel vest and loved it until about a month ago when I started noticing that it wasn't really floating me as high as it used to. I'm 6' tall, 188lbs, and have a 40" chest under the armpits. Originally I took my measurements based on Radar's sizing recommendations and realized that an XL vest (36" chest) was drastically too small for me. Figuring there is no way that they would make 4 sizes of ski vests for people who have smaller frames than myself, I threw sizing to the wind and ordered a medium. The medium vest fit well. Snug but not tight.

 

Since my 2012 Decibel vest was losing floatation but it still looks very good. I really didn't want to chance $150+ on a new vest that I may not like so I chanced the $45 on that 2013 Radar Decibel vest @andjules posted on closeout in size small. Size small fits me just fine but I do like my vests snug so they don't ride up on me. I'd say if you're smaller than me, size small will fit you just fine.

[Chad_Scott]

Waternut. All of this years model vest have more padding than previous years. When the platinum vest was made additional flotation was added. It was them added to all of the vest in the 2014 line.

[Nando]

I went from an O'Neill Gooru to a Boost with bad results- they don't have any side padding. "How often do I fall hard on my side?", I thought. Ended up in the ER with what the docs thought was a ruptured spleen. Not ruptured, but nasty internal bruising and torn oblique meant three weeks off the water. I switched to a Slasher and the fit can't be beat and it seems to be well made but I can't vouch for its durability (it's a week old). My brother has an HO Syndicate that seems to have really good impact protection and has been pretty durable.

[xrated]

no offense @MattP but "If you are buying a best based on price -How much is your life worth to you...?" you shouldn't even be looking at a comp vest IMO.

[swerveit]

I recently purchased the new Guru vest with the 2014 foam change. Meaning it doesn't soak up water and weigh 5 kilos after your set, awesome. however it has zero buoyancy... I mean negative. so at the end of a pass I'm holding my breath to stay afloat. its really bad. not only for performance reasons as my heart rate is not dropping, but for safety.

dread to think if i get knocked out... had about 5 guru vests but they end up getting loose and take on far too much water.

I just put an order in for a new eagle vest.

[skibug]

Eagle front zip. Consider this, as it was something that one of the skiers at our lake experienced. Front zip versus pull over. I don't really see any advantage to pull over vests these days. The front zips are just as form fitting these days and way easier to get in and out of. I mention this because we had a skier get hurt in a bad fall where she broke some ribs. She had on a pull over; needless to say getting out of it was not fun. A front zip would have been much, much less of an issue.

[walleye]

@shortstack Don't overlook the Goode vest with zipper. For looks No1. for me, my son has one improved his looks:) over the Guru. Not sure of the quality only one season. I have several Guru's they are very good quality and work well. I feel the Goode makes you look thinner:) not sure it would float you or any of the vest you listed if that is a requirement.

[wtrskior]

I am in a O'Neill checkmate and love it. Side zip so its easier to put on/off than a pullover like the gooru. Good padding and protection ad well. I'm in a medium. 5-10 185

 

Have a radar decible that is coming apart after 2 seasons. Was good, warm and reversible but rolled up in a crash and got heavy when wet.

[Skoot1123]

Lots of great choices out there these days. I agree with what @skibug said about the front zipper. My next vest will be a front zip. Eagle has many ways to customize their vest and is on the top of my list for my next vest.

[ALPJr]

O'neill Assault. USCG approved and built in lumbar support. My first one lasted 18 years and the first 3 years were in Great Egg Harbor Bay(southern New Jersey) and Berkeley Aqautic Park salt waters. My second one is holding up well.

[acmx]

@MS, How hard is it to get out of that pullover vest? Seems like it would really stretch it getting out of it.

[mlange]

Getting out of a pullover is pretty easy. It's much harder to get out of a heater shirt IMHO. The problem would be if you get hurt as @skibug said.

[robscholl-OF]

Go the Jeff Rogers route. Nylon four buckle vest for $39.95 from Overtons. He rocked it at the Big Dawg. Obviously it is the skier not the vest......OF

[Shortstack]

Thanks for the help. I'm leaning more towards the zipper way for the reason @skibug said. Right now I'm mostly between the Syndicate vest and Eagle vests (if I get an Eagle, it will probably be a Goode one like what @walleye mentioned. I think they look better than the normal Eagle vests, though I can custimize the Eagles). I want a vest that will float me to some degree. I always fall on my side, so side impact padding is important to me. Anyone have any experience with the Syndicate Legend vest?

 

Now its time to find boardshorts to match the vest I choose....

[walleye]

@shortstack Do not buy elastic waist band looking cool is important. Most board shorts will balloon out on ups…huge load tweaks my neck. There is elastic type Hurley not sure brand I can look tonight but they never balloon>very important even over looks but these are cool.

[walleye]

@shortstackIf you really want impress the ladies put a potato in the front. But not like @MS with in the back:(

[Chef23]

@Shortstack you can get Eagle to put a little more flotation in and they also make a black vest with just Eagle written on it.

[skiboat38]

Eagle all the way!

[klindy]

+1 for the Eagle.

[bowty]

Everyone says Eagle, but specifically which Eagle vest?

[klindy]

I have a matrix but have had others. Some features may be slightly different and @Eagle1‌ may be able to outline those differences but essentially, to me, the front zip jackets I've tried from eagle are pretty much the same. Note I haven't tried them all.

 

My next vest will be an eagle too.

[Rup]

I like the extra flotation in the back of the vest and the silver looks cool.

[Chef23]

I think the Eagle Platinum is the only one with more flotation in it but someone posted earlier that might have changed. The Eagle 1 is plain black with just a smallish Eagle logo. I tried on the Platinum last year and really wanted to like it but I found the arm holes a little smaller than the other Eagle vests so I went with a standard one. It could have been the extra padding making the arm holes seem a little smaller.

[Shortstack]

I know Eagle is a popular brand, but what makes the Eagle vests so popular? What makes them better than the others? Honestly I was leaning more towards the Syndicate, but Eagle vests seem to be more popular.

[nate93]

Connelly prophecy vest is great. Have a guru I never wear since I got the connelly.

[gregy]

@shortstack. The eagle vest is light weight and you hardly know you have a vest on. It has a good heavy duty zipper. They are made in USA. On top of a good product they are very supportive of tournament water skiing which I think pays off in customer loyalty.

[mlange]

What @gregy said. And as others have stated if you want more padding, floatation or custom sizing they can do it for you.

[The_MS]

@acmx the first week I used my first Eagle pull over I hurt my shoulder. Now I can get in and out with no issues. One of the better fitting vests I had was the Eagle Spyder with the 1/2 zip up the back but hey dont make them like that any more. The new Cardigan is thin and floats you well.

[skialex]

Eagle vests are thin and not stretchy at the sides giving more support to the ribs than the gooru. Also because they are thin and fit well on you they do not catch during a fall giving a better chance to slide (also good for the ribs).

The looks is the best, flotation is an issue though.

Alex,

[Cusefan78]

How are the syndicate vests. I really like the legacy.

[behindpropellers]

I really like my Camaro vest but I'm not sure if it has the durability I need. My biggest complaint with my camaro is that the zipper is small and very tough to get started. They need to go to the next gauge up of zipper size.

[OTF]

@Shortstack can't go wrong with the cardigan, love mine. Not much there but floats me and the padding has been sufficient in good crashes. No stiches ripped and now on season 3. Color is fading a little. Other than that nothing. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat.

[mopowpow]

Have you thought about the O'Neill Checkmate? It is now a front zip! My husband has had an older pullover for about 5 years and it's still in good shape, but a little faded. I've got the women's Gem, but thinking about getting a new one with the front zip.

[LZywicki1]

O'Neill Revenge comp. Floats well, large arm opening and some back support.