Powervest questions:

[Vernon Reeve]

I've seen where people have said the heat form the vest. So how do you do this? Do you take the plastic back plate out and then put the plate in the oven? Or do you leave it together and put it all in the oven? What temperature? After you take it out of the oven, how do you make it conform? Do you need a helper, or do you just put the vest back on and let it conform? Or do you use a heat gun and once again, if using the heat gun, do you take the plastic back plate out first, or leave it in?

 

2nd question, any recommendations of a wetsuit or long sleeved top that is thin enough to go under the powervest? I usually switch from swim trunks to a dry suit when the water temp drops to 58, but maybe the newer wetsuits are thinner, and will allow my to go down another 10 degrees before a dry suit is needed.

 

 

[liquid d]

the plastic has to come out...you have to get it really hot to bend and make it stay.

[SkiJay]

@Vernon_Reeve

No matter how you heat it, it has to come out of the vest. If you use the oven, you'll need a friend to apply it to your back. Alone, a heat gun on one corner at a time is the ticket. Heat it until it starts to go limp. Any hotter and it may blister. Shape it wearing thin gloves as heat protection.

[Vernon Reeve]

Thanks. That helps.

[eleeski]

I never molded my vest. It protected my back reasonably well. The strap adjustments were most critical to me. The back plate was funky but never bothered my performance. Maybe I should mold mine?

 

I always wear a shirt under my Powervest. The straps cut my arms up. I never noticed the switch from wetsuit to surf shirt. But my Aquaflite wetsuit is pretty thin.

 

58?! Snow ski weather. I'm spoiled.

 

Eric

[Steven_Haines]

if you don't mold the plastic panel, it has a tendency to break due to the straps flexing and conforming the panel to your back.

[SkiJay]

I had molded plates crack too, but Goode is very good about sending a replacement free of charge.

[SkiJay]

It's not safe to ski with a cracked back plate by the way. I had a crack trap the sliding strap once. Between that and the PowerGrip gloves, it ended in a hard fall face first into the ball. I blame myself for that one because I knew it was cracked and causing hitches during some counters into the ball. Finally it snagged.

[Steven_Haines]

I don't know if you bought your vest new or used, I bought mine from goode, so they've replaced the back panel a few times for free. but a buddy of mine got his off ski it again and they quoted him a price of $175 to replace the back panel. Ridiculous! I told him to save his money and shape the 1 he's got and then lay it up in fiberglass.