Bouyancy Aids

Where have i seen that bouyancy aid before........

 

.....Ahhh yes that was it

Wearing a rash vest over the top of everything else helps with the riding-up thing. Or you could just get one that fits!

Actually, 50N of buoyancy is next to nothing when you consider the 80 kilos of human it's wrapped round. Whether it's evenly split between front and back or just one panel the person relies on their own awareness to retain their position in the water (although it might not seem like it).

As flimsy evidence - I offer the following. We bought my daughter (the 2 yrs old) one of those swim-vests for holidays last year. It's very similar to a buoyancy aide with several foam panels fitted radially within a neoprene vest. You can take these foam spars out individually but whatever way we tried, every time we put my daughter in the water she would just flip round. Onto her back/front/side, regardless of where the buoyancy was placed. Because she couldn't swim!

Buoyancy aids are worm to give you a bit of help when you first hit the water. If you are in the water for extended periods they mean that you don't have to tread water quite so much. But that's it. 50N won't make you float face up or down.

If you are unconscious you've probably had it anyway.  The bouyancy aid is not for such a situation - so let's put that to one side. 

I want a bouyancy aid where most of the bouyancy is in the water.  I find the high cut ones ride up and most of it is out of the water restricting my view and then to compound it getting in the way when I'm struglling to get on the board.  The only way I can see around this problem is more of the foam lower down on the body and less of it around the front.  Now I don't think it would work very well if it were around my ankles, I think it would be good to have it on my lower back, maybe around the kidneys and a little on my chest.  I'm thinking waistcoats here perhaps high cut at the front to keep clear of the hook.  With that sort of area available surely 50N would be available with a thicknes of about 1cm, and if it were sectioned like an armadilo it would provide great flexibility. 

Better still would be little pockets of air in flexible sachets sewn into a waistcoat - oh just like my old Musto kit from 20years ago!

I'm now going to trawl the web for a picture.  Meanwhile get on with it -manufacturers - you don't seem to have any imagination.

That is my point a bouyancy aid is just that it will help you float to the surface. They are not designed to bring you up face first with your face out the water. This used to be taught as part of the RYA NDSC so you knew the difference and the associated risks of using a bouyancy aid as opposed to a life jacket.

As I am sure most people would agree wering a full life jacket on a dinghy (not the inflate when hit water type) is not really practical.

Paul

If you are wearing a buoyancy aid and you feel your face being shoved towards the water, its probably your crew!

Back to the main point. Redback, I totally agree with you.  I have a crewsaver pro gybe job.  Great buoyancy aid, apart from when you have climb onto the daggerboard or pull yourself into the boat.  This made worse because as I am a girl it rides up more.  I have seen girly buoyancys about but do they make any differance?

Edited by Fans1024