Life Vest ?

[red tzx 190]

Pros and Cons ???? Mustang Inflatable life Vest ??
Most of you guys always talk about safety and we think the same way.. After watching BASS this week and seeing some don't take inflatables off and just keep fishing ?
And now that we are not young, we think it would make things more easy to have the inflatable ????
Thank you guys

[Lil Mo]

Like many here-traditional vest while running, Mustang auto inflate while fishing. The Mustang is so light and comfortable, I’ve actually loaded the boat, strapped down, wiped down, and didn’t realize I still had it on until I went to put the seatbelt on in the truck.

[barkleyhawggitter]

After I had an inflatable fail I won’t use one anymore.

[pa.X19]

Old school vest and at a minimum kill switch 100 percent.

[Dixie-Raven]

I now use the regular vest for running and a belt auto inflator while fishing.

[sflam123]

IF I am out by myself, I wear my inflatable when I am up front fishing and my standard vest while driving.

[Fx20 2011]

In Pa if you only have an inflatable on the boat then you have to wear it 100% of the time. Once you take it off while in the boat you now officialy do not have a life jacket on your boat. It can be an expensive lesson.

I always have a regular life jacket on the deck in addition for those hot days when I want to go with out a life jacket.

[billnorman1]

As I have, fall in 40 degree water a few times, a PFD is your best friend. I am an old fart, I wear my inflatable all the time until I have pulled the boat back out of the water. I wear an inflatable have a spare in the boat as well as a conventional as required by law. Mine works tried it last Winter.

Mine is NOT a Mustang.

[jerzia]

After I had an inflatable fail I won’t use one anymore.

What model failed? (HIT, MIT, etc)

[KP1923]

IF I am out by myself, I wear my inflatable when I am up front fishing and my standard vest while driving.

+1

[Coastal Mountaineer]

The belief that all inflatables must be worn to count is simply wrong. The confusion comes from misleading labeling and, in the early days of inflatables, they all had to be worn and many folks got tickets. Today, inflatables have improved and many do count whether worn or not. And, the approval ratings are getting better so they're easier to understand.

For ones you already own and new ones you're considering, Read the label approval rating. Here's the wording of a typical rating:

• Approval: USCG – Recreational Type II (Meets minimum buoyancy rating of 33.7 LBS), Commercial Type V (Type II performance approved only when worn.

The requirement" approved only when worn" applies only to jackets on commercial vessels. It does not have to be worn on recreational boats. My Mustang jackets have a clearer label:

[Coastal Mountaineer]

Sorry, bad image.

[DaveBrabec]

Regular life vest for me when running . Cant stand one on fishing.
To many stories of guys going in the water and self inflatable didnt inflate

[Fx20 2011]

PA law.

INFLATABLE
LIFE JACKETS
There are two types.
Both types use a small carbon
dioxide (CO2 )cylinder to inflate an air bladder.
Both types have a backup oral inflation tube,
better buoyancy than standard PFDs, and the
ability to turn an unconscious person face-up in
the water. Available varieties include “suspender”
types, fishing vests, belt pack vests and even
float coats and deck suits. They can be classified
as Type III or V PFDs.
1. Manually activated–requires the user to
pull a “rip cord” mechanism to puncture the CO2
cartridge, allowing it to inflate. These MUST BE
WORN at all times, or you must keep another
standard-type wearable device on board to comply
with the life jacket laws.
2. Automatically activated–inflates when
a water-soluble material dissolves and releases a
spring-trigger plunger, which punctures the CO2
cartridge, allowing it to inflate. These MUST BE
WORN at all times, or you must keep another
standard-type wearable device on board to comply
with the life jacket law.

https://www.fishandboat.com/Boat/Boa...evicesPFD.aspx

[Coastal Mountaineer]

PA law.

INFLATABLE
LIFE JACKETS
There are two types.
Both types use a small carbon
dioxide (CO2 )cylinder to inflate an air bladder.
Both types have a backup oral inflation tube,
better buoyancy than standard PFDs, and the
ability to turn an unconscious person face-up in
the water. Available varieties include “suspender”
types, fishing vests, belt pack vests and even
float coats and deck suits. They can be classified
as Type III or V PFDs.
1. Manually activated–requires the user to
pull a “rip cord” mechanism to puncture the CO2
cartridge, allowing it to inflate. These MUST BE
WORN at all times, or you must keep another
standard-type wearable device on board to comply
with the life jacket laws.
2. Automatically activated–inflates when
a water-soluble material dissolves and releases a
spring-trigger plunger, which punctures the CO2
cartridge, allowing it to inflate. These MUST BE
WORN at all times, or you must keep another
standard-type wearable device on board to comply
with the life jacket law.

https://www.fishandboat.com/Boat/Boa...evicesPFD.aspx

This article is probably out of date, it does not include inflatables that use a hydrostatic inflator, which many Mustang Jackets have. I just spoke with the PA Southeast Region Law Enforcement Office and they confirmed that if the approval rating on the jacket says Type ll for recreational purposes, even if it's an inflatable, it does not have to be worn to count in the boat's inventory.
Law Enforcement
Street Address:
255 West Brubaker Valley Road
Lititz, PA 17543
Telephone: (717) 626-0228

[Fish Whisperer]

I have a Mustang MD 3183. I wear it when running the big engine all the time. And I have my kill switch attached all the time. If I am fishing and it is rough on the water I will wear it. If it is hot out and flat calm, I don't wear it. I always have ample conventional life jackets in the boat.

[Garfish]

I wear a Mustang HIT elite vest when I'm on the water always. I have but have retired an older red Mustang HIT, I plan on jumping in the motel swimming pool when they open just to see if it still would've worked. It must be 10 years old. The pill type like my original Sospenders are a PITA in heavy humidity or rain it would inflate sometimes......G

[zekepa]

I'm also from Pa, and just bought a pair of the Mustang HIT jackets. Did a Google search on Requirements for Pa ended up with the same link as Fx20 posted. Pretty much just accepted the fact that the inflatables had to be worn to count.

After doing some more digging the actual PA code doesn't define an inflatable vest. Only Wearable PFD

Wearable PFD—A PFD that is intended to be worn or otherwise attached to a person’s body. A PFD marked as wearable, Type I, Type II, Type III, or Type V with Type (I, II or III) performance is considered a wearable PFD.
(b) A person may not use a boat unless at least one wearable PFD is on board for each person and the PFD is used in accordance with requirements of the approval label.

58 Pa. Code § 97.1. Personal flotation devices. (pacodeandbulletin.gov)

From the Summary Booklet on the PFBC site

PERSONAL FLOTATION DEVICE (Life Jacket ) REQUIREMENTS

All boats must have a USCG-approved wearable life jacket on board for each person. In addition to wearable life jackets, boats 16 feet and over must have a throwable device (ring buoy, life ring or buoyant seat cushion) on board. Canoes and kayaks, regardless of length, are not required to carry a throwable device. Life jackets must be used in accordance with any requirements on the approval label. Summary Book - Boating, BUI and Life Jackets (pa.gov) With all that said I intend to wear the Mustang when I'm in the boat. That's why I bought them, but will have enough regular Type III's in the boat for everyone on board. I'm getting older and would like to keep getting older. Last year we had a pair of guys from our church drown on the lake I fish most of the time. One had a medical emergency and must have fallen in. The other drowned trying to help. Neither had a life jacket on.

[muddywaters]

100mph impact vest is the only pdf for me, to many failures in the inflatables for my liking. I had a couple of inflatables i kept in my storage box for when someone did not have one and got on my boat, they all deployed in the storage on thier own and did not fully deploy, the velcro kept them contained. Not a risk I am willing to take.

[buster502]

i have a new in package MV5600 model,100 mph top of the line one. but way to big for me its a xxl if anybody has a large i would trade or sell somebody this one