Pros and Cons of Life vests

Earlier, life vests were used to be filled with foam to provide flotation. A new design has come up which is called inflatable vest. You can fill them with air either manually or automatically. Like everything, PFD type vest has its pros and cons. Let us discuss them to help you make an informed decision.

The Pros

The first and the foremost advantage of inflatable PFD is the comfort level it offers. The foam-filled vests are heavy whereas these air-filled vests are light and convenient. You can easily wear them in summers without feeling hot inside. They are not bulky at all. You can inflate the inflatable life vests automatically. This feature is very helpful especially in cases of any accidents, mishaps or knocked unconsciousness. It will start inflating as soon as it starts submerging in the water. On the other side, you always have the pull tab to inflate it manually.

An amazing feature of these inflatable PFD’s is how easily and effectively they can deal with buoyancy. If you compare them with foam-filled variety, they definitely have greater buoyancy rate. Therefore, they will not let your head submerge in the water in any case while many traditional vests had doing so. This would be really helpful if you fell unconscious. It is also equipped with an oral inflation tube. This tube gives you permission to blow air in the vest to maintain the buoyancy rate when you are in water. This would be helpful if you get stuck in the water for a long time.

Cons

There are few disadvantages also to these inflatable life vests. The maintenance of these PFD types is more expensive as compared to the traditional foam-filled vests. The cartridge needs to be installed properly for longer durability. Make sure you check the status of the inflator when you purchase it. You have to keep a constant check for the leaks in the inflatable types.

Another disadvantage it offers is that they are easy prone to damage. They had to be kept away from sharp equipments like fishing gear etc. you  have to keep distance from string water impact like water skiing or jet etc.

These are few advantages and disadvantages of inflatable life vests.  Without any doubt, they are more comfortable with greater buoyancy. And along with comes the maintenance and easy prone to damage. With all the information, you can make the decision making use of your common sense.