We (gf and myself) recently tested 4 self inflating life jackets from our boat. The type with compressed air cylinder that inflates the jacket when you pull a rip cord.

They were a year or two outside their annual maintenance period. All failed by only partially inflating or not at all. They WERE outside their recommended use by date to be fair. So obviously keep them up to date! I thought they would still work

Worse though. As a practice exercise my gf jumped off the boat wearing an inflated good one.

She fell out of it once hitting the water!

After looking at the design it's obviously easy for that to happen. When she hit the water her body went under but the inflated jacket stayed on the surface. Next minute no life jacket.

We looked on YouTube videos and saw occasionally people wearing them with a crutch strap, sometimes two.

It turns out they are an option! When actually if you don't wear one you need to wear the jacket super tight and consciously make sure it don't slip off. Smaller people can slip out of them easily. So my verdict after a real test is you need to wear a crutch strap with them.

Yes this very unfortunate incident

www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-15/tas-man-drowns-metres-from-police-after-trying-to-secure-yacht/101241916

brought up the advantages of crotch straps.

Definitely inspect all your critical life saving and safety equipment regularly.

Means your confident in where it is and the condition it's in when the proverbial hits the fan

Using Inflatable PFDs in a variety of workplaces and recreationally, can highly recommend you invest in the crotch strap. Adjusted properly you barely know they're on, and they don't snag like people complain they do.

Also, recommended use/inflation process is to don the PFD, enter the water with your arms across the lifejacket (possibly even with the activation toggle already in your hand) to help keep the it in place, Then inflate it

Also worth while getting familiar with how to deflate and inflate manually in case it inflates while you're below deck.

Always amazes me how the relevant standard doesn't include a mandatory crotch strap given the above evidence.

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Madmouse said..
Always amazes me how the relevant standard doesn't include a mandatory crotch strap given the above evidence.

Ever wondered how useful those lifejackets - without a crotch strap - on an aircraft would be?

Always a good idea to have a supply of old school pfd jackets on board as extra to inflation models as back up.

At around $15 each, no service required ever.
Plus if you have non byo PFD friends onboard your covered

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sydchris said..

Madmouse said..
Always amazes me how the relevant standard doesn't include a mandatory crotch strap given the above evidence.

Ever wondered how useful those lifejackets - without a crotch strap - on an aircraft would be?

Actually they are not bad, provided that they are fitted properly and inflated outside of the aircraft. Considering what they are there for if one survives the initial incident then every little bit helps. I know this because as a fright attendant we used them, albeit in a training pool, annually as part of our safety certification.

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Madmouse said..
Always amazes me how the relevant standard doesn't include a mandatory crotch strap given the above evidence.

Not all inflatable PFD's are the same. Some have to be worn with crotch straps some don't. There is a big difference between a $90 PDF and one that costs $500.