Bouyancy Aids
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Dinghy development
Forum Discription: The latest moves in the dinghy market
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1222
Printed Date: 15 Aug 25 at 10:36am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Bouyancy Aids
Posted By: tgruitt
Subject: Bouyancy Aids
Date Posted: 21 Nov 05 at 9:39pm
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I'm looking for a new bouyancy aid. What is the smallest one around as I sail skiffs i want a small one. I don't care if it's not very bouyant as I can swim and float anyway, just needs to be small and comfortable. Any ideas anyone? Thanks Tom ------------- Needs to sail more... |
Replies:
Posted By: Isis
Date Posted: 21 Nov 05 at 9:43pm
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The magic marine Black Magic looks about flatest I can find.
Regulations mean they all have about the same about of foam though so
there probibly isnt a vast amount of difference
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Posted By: 5420
Date Posted: 21 Nov 05 at 9:48pm
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iv heard that in Aus you can get harnesses with bouyancy aids in side them and they are no biger than a harnesses with out it so its like not wearing the bouyancy aid
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Posted By: Calum_Reid
Date Posted: 21 Nov 05 at 9:52pm
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My dad purchased a gul one recently very neat fitting! ------------- 
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Posted By: tgruitt
Date Posted: 21 Nov 05 at 9:59pm
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which gul one is that? I have the Gul Garda and it's rather bulky! ------------- Needs to sail more... |
Posted By: Calum_Reid
Date Posted: 21 Nov 05 at 10:02pm
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It was a garda my dad bought and it seemed quite small cld be a new version? The pro 1 looks small on there site. -------------
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Posted By: CurlyBen
Date Posted: 21 Nov 05 at 10:09pm
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If you want one with less foam try and find one with less than 50N
bouyancy - all 50N BAs will have the same volume. Not sure if you can
get them less than 50N though - I certainly haven't seen any.
------------- RS800 GBR848 Weston SC |
Posted By: Isis
Date Posted: 21 Nov 05 at 10:16pm
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I have the old style rooster one which i think just a garda with a
different badge? I find it very bulky, fine for the laser but ive got
the aformentioned MM one on my crimbo list now :D
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Posted By: tgruitt
Date Posted: 22 Nov 05 at 9:20am
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But you can be protested from a race if you are wearing a bouyancy aid that's less than 50N! Itis in the rules somewhere! ------------- Needs to sail more... |
Posted By: Iain C
Date Posted: 22 Nov 05 at 10:20am
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Magic Marine every time Tom. I've tried a few now, I had a Gul Garda and every time you went in the drink it floated up round your ears somewhere, and I'd often undo the velcro strap by catching it with my forearm. I would also sometimes catch the spinnaker pole between my shoulder and the BA usually resulting in a swim and some anglo-saxon expletives. Easily sorted by wearing an aero vest over the top, but then much harder for a rescue driver to pull you out of the water. The MM BA has a wide velcro strap which you do up first before you zip it up which keeps it well and truly in place if you go in. It sits really high on your chest and stays clear of your harness. Unlike some MM products (like the old Tack Watch for example!!) the racing BA is a brilliant bit of kit and worth the extra tenner or so compared to what else is out there.
------------- RS700 GBR922 "Wirespeed" Fireball GBR14474 "Eleven Parsecs" Enterprise GBR21970 Bavaria 32 GBR4755L "Adastra" |
Posted By: 49erGBR735HSC
Date Posted: 22 Nov 05 at 12:03pm
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I'm not sure if Henri-Lloyd are still producing them but I managed to get a cracking buoyancy aid. 50N, high cut and a really good fit. Its got a front zip, and draw strings at the bottom. It actually comes down to just above the spreader bar on my harness and fits really well and doesn't really feel like you're wearing an aid. Fairly easy to swim in and can be taken off in seconds. Mine is at least 5 years old and if I could, I wouldn't buy another bouyancy aid. Its blue, with a white stripe across the front and Ben Ainslie had one when he was sailing his Laser. The Magic Marine one is probably just as good, looks like it has a little bit more length on it though. ------------- Dennis Watson 49er GBR735 http://www.helensburghsailingclub.co.uk/ - Helensburgh S.C http://www.noblemarine.co.uk/home.php3?affid=560 - Boat Insurance from Noble Marine |
Posted By: stuarthop
Date Posted: 22 Nov 05 at 8:15pm
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I have a very good side entry henri lloyd one works a treat! ------------- |
Posted By: Blobby
Date Posted: 23 Nov 05 at 5:13am
| I have a very nice bouyancy aid made for water skiing. High cut and good fit. Probably a couple too many buckles though... |
Posted By: Skiffe
Date Posted: 23 Nov 05 at 10:47am
Yeah, I wish. I use an inflatable type one. small, no bouyancy when not inflated, and much more bouyancy, about 3 times (150N), than a standard aid. ------------- 12footers. The Only Way to FLY Remember Professionals built the titanic, Amateurs built the ark. |
Posted By: Isis
Date Posted: 23 Nov 05 at 11:52am
sounds like a great idea but I cant see them being legal over here without them being automaticaly inflating which is a big no-no Does anyone know what the official situation is with them in the uk? ------------- |
Posted By: stuarthop
Date Posted: 23 Nov 05 at 6:32pm
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Nah mines navy and grey never slips up it has a usefull side bucke which tightens up a treat so it doesnt slip ------------- |
Posted By: Guest
Date Posted: 30 Nov 05 at 9:52pm
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I use a Rooster one which works fine for me in the Musto. Rick ------------- |
Posted By: hydrographer20
Date Posted: 01 Dec 05 at 9:47pm
Well i have a henri lloyd one which is only 1 year old so is assumed they are still in production. But it is extremely comfortable and i do like the handy little zipper pocket incase ofcourse whilst racing you suddenly decide to pull out a sandwhich  . But wouldnt change it at all its great------------- byte me!- GBR 814 |
Posted By: Guest
Date Posted: 02 Dec 05 at 6:26pm
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So ... now you have no idea ... seems everyone is happy with their own choice ------------- |
Posted By: tgruitt
Date Posted: 03 Dec 05 at 12:44pm
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might just strap a few small pieces of polystyrene to my chest and make do! ------------- Needs to sail more... |
Posted By: Jack Sparrow
Date Posted: 03 Dec 05 at 1:06pm
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My Dick Batt harness has bouyance built into the panels. it's more than
adaquate for salt water but slightly lacking in fresh. But frankly better than any bouyance aid I have ever had. I find that they are always a nightmare to swim in. Fine if you want to float about for a few hours but useless if you want to swim back to the boat. I preffer to swim than float as if I get knocked out the aid doesn't help anyway and with rescue cover it is very unlikey to be floating for ages. And in salt it gives me enough bouyance. I am sure that other sailmakers do similar harnesses - P&B for instance. ------------- http://www.uk3-7class.org/index.html" rel="nofollow - Farr 3.7 Class Website https://www.facebook.com/groups/1092602470772759/" rel="nofollow - Farr 3.7 Building - Facebook Group |
Posted By: Jack Sparrow
Date Posted: 03 Dec 05 at 1:08pm
There speaks someone who has just been told off for having a opinion about a commercial product ------------- http://www.uk3-7class.org/index.html" rel="nofollow - Farr 3.7 Class Website https://www.facebook.com/groups/1092602470772759/" rel="nofollow - Farr 3.7 Building - Facebook Group |
Posted By: Bumble
Date Posted: 03 Dec 05 at 3:08pm
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I have a bouyancy aid/harness and it has enough bouyacy to float a loaf of bread. I do however prefer it to a bouyancy aid (rated at the 500+N required to float me) with a conventional harness underneath..... This is taboo, and I don't expect people to agree with me, but I don't like wearing the aid and I don't believe it can do anything to help me in difficulty. It stops you swimming effectively when your conscious, and allows you to sink more slowly when your not. Reading back through these posts it strikes me many people lantently feel this also....... why else would they buy (and support manufacturers to develop) bouyancy aids where the selling point is in low mass/size/bouyancy. We all want our sport to appear as safe as possible, thus encouraging new comers, but isn't anything short of a 'life jacket' just a courtesy gesture??? |
Posted By: Ian99
Date Posted: 04 Dec 05 at 12:41am
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All Buoyancy aids really do is counteract for the weight of wet
clothes. Given that wetsuits have a fair amount of buoyancy in then in
themselves, wearing a buoyancy aid is possibly overkill when just
wearing a wetsuit (surfers and the like don't bother). However, if you put a thick jumper over the wetsuit because it's cold and then fall in the water, staying afloat without the buoyancy aid is much more hard work. The smallest buoyancy aid which could provide the required 50N of buoyancy would actually be inflatable and filled with hydrogen. This would be a lot smaller and lighter than anything available today, but unfortuately wouldn't pass the tests defined in the Euro Norm as I think one involves putting a knife through it. This was what probably outlawed those incredibly comfortable red and white stripy ones with the air filled vertical tubes as favoured by Enterprise sailors in the 1980s. Whichever buoyancy aid you buy will not be buoyant by the time it gets comfortable - my circa 1993 first generation over the head type is by far the most comfortable I own because it's now nice and flexible. The foam in it has broken down so much, if it is left in water for too long, it would sink. The same rule seems to apply to most "safety" equipment - the hi-vis vests I have to wear at work are just getting comfortable when they need throwing away because they are no longer orange but black with brake dust and grease and the reflective strips are falling off.... |
Posted By: hurricane
Date Posted: 04 Dec 05 at 11:51am
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has anyone discussed the counter arguements against buoyancy aids?? one of the points i have heard and i can believe is have u ever tried to swim down with a b-aid on? if u need to do this to get from under a capsized boat clear of the ropes etc can hinder your attempt!
------------- lifes to short to sail slow boats! RIP Olympic Tornado 1976-2007 |
Posted By: tgruitt
Date Posted: 04 Dec 05 at 12:44pm
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I dont wear a wetsuit so i coudl probably do with a b/a. I need one for yacht racing anyway, still haven't decided which one yet. I just want the smallest one possible. ------------- Needs to sail more... |
Posted By: Garry
Date Posted: 04 Dec 05 at 8:13pm
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You can swim very effectively in a BA if you do lifesaving backstroke.
And if you do need to swim down (rather than push yourself under the obstruction) you can always take or cut your BA off. ------------- Garry Lark 2252, Contender 298 www.cuckoos.eclipse.co.uk |