Buoyant Impact Vest?

[Guest]

Anyone have any recommendations for a comp vest that will keep you afloat? Looking for something lighter/thinner than a cga vest but don't want to sink if I take a spill and worst comes to worst.

[buoyboy1]

@jhkiefer I took a bad fall last year and have been wearing this shirt under my non coast guard approved vest for added protection. It comes with two molded rib plates that will be form fitted to your ribs. The plates are thin and won't interfere or be an issue for your vest and are very light weight. https://www.evoshield.com/en-us/product/performance-rib-shirt-wf70001#colors=65144

 

[jhkiefer]

@buoyboy1 Great, thanks for the recommendation. Honestly not too worried about rib/chest protection, just want a single vest that will keep me afloat if I were to ever go unconscious in the water. Wondering if most impact vests do that to some degree- never tried one on before.

[lakeaustinskier]

My Camaro Impact vest has good flotation. A little spendy but it's a good vest.

[DavidN]

Can’t believe nobody mentioned the Stokes vest.

Definitely more flotation than the Eagle, still doesn’t feel restrictive while skiing.

How about the Follow vests, anyone with experience?

Might need to get a new vest next season, my Stokes Evo is in it’s 4th year of heavy use and starts to get a little loose/stretched out.

But that’s ok for about 500 sets.

[Rednucleus]

I think most vests will float you, the question becomes if you are knocked out, do you float face up or face down?

[ScottScott]

You're not going to get face up assurance in a vest, even cga, unless you get one of the big orange preservers. But no one but Jeff Rodgers can get away with skiing in something like that.

 

 

[ScottScott]

"Impact" is a term thrown around a lot in vests, but I don't see much beyond theory and speculation regarding what will help prevent, or contribute to, rib injury. I really like the idea of that evoshield @buoyboy1 posted above.

[Broussard]

@DavidN More info about the Follow vest can be found here: link

[jhkiefer]

Thanks for all the recommendations. Ended up between Follow or O'neill. Went with the slasher! :)

 

 

[Tevskis]

@jhkiefer impact vests are awesome for skiing! freedom, comfort, and range of motion is unbeatable. That being stated, none of them are going to protect you fully from a full knockout like a CGA can, I do not know of any current impact vests that will pass the final test in the CGA approval of floating you "face up." Also, there is always the risk of blowing out the entire zipper and coming completely out of the vest as there is only one point of attachment (the zipper).

 

Lots to say nothing is PERFECT (there is always risk) but I think you will enjoy your slasher! I have three in the boathouse myself ?

[MDB1056]

Oneil products are well made. Have several of their comp vests. You’ll love the Slasher

[gsm_peter]

Fwiw

A wet sute will add quite some extra floating.

I would guess a 3mm full suite have similar flotation as a comp west.

And it will not help to keep your head above the surface. ..

[ScottScott]

Now thinking about vests floatation and their impact on deep water starts. I have been using an Eagle for a couple years now, but have had consistent issues with back strains from deep water starts. I'm wondering if something with more floatation than the eagle is needed. @DavidN you have used both the eagle and the stokes? and can confirm stokes has more floatation? I had an O'Neil before that and didn't have issues. Anyone have experience with Eagle and any others that had more floatation? Does O'Neil have more than eagle? How about O'Neil vs stokes. Is stokes floatation with all models pretty similar?

[DavidN]

@ScottScott

Yes, I have two Eagle vests and a Stokes Evo (1st edition) and that one had noticeable more flotation than the Eagles. If I remember correctly the Evo2 was advertised as having even better flotation. Tom Asher @ Stokesskis would know more.

Can’t say anything about modern O’Neills - it’s been a while since I used their older style pullover vests.

[Vernon Reeve]

I have a Radar Impact vest that seems to provide good flotation, and a nice flat surface so the cushion itself won't cause rib injuries imho. This older radar vest also has a boa cord that tightens up the bottom of the vest which I really like, but looks like they got rid of this feature.

 

I had previously tried the evo-shield, but took a bad wipe out with a different comp vest, and the bottom of the vest turned inside out (they really need a strap at the bottom), and that hard rib protector flipped up and jammed straight into my ribs causing much more pain than if I hadn't had it at all. I now have a little bump on my sternum that wasn't there previously. I think the best protection would be to do exercises that strengthen the intercostal muscles.

[GaryJanzig]

I have a Connelly Neo Vest which is about 12 years old. It USCG approved. I looked at getting one of those thin comp vests, but not legal in PA. The only exception is a barefoot suit or a wetsuit or comp vest while trick skiing. My brother pointed out I was the only one who did not have a comp vest at nationals(Men 4 slalom). If you go to the nationals webcast day 5 lake 1 and fast forward to 2:53:01 I am on the starting dock. I have an older vest than that one, but the one I am wearing is much lighter than the previous. It is a little more than twice the thickness of the comp vests, and not much heavier. I like having the padding on those bad crashes. I was considering a thin comp vest for trick skiing, but they are more money than I am willing to pay for a vest. I saw an O'Neill USGC approved comp vest at Barts which looked interesting.