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Re: Flotation

Posted: Fri May 22, 2020 11:46 pm
by Greenturtle
not only should you be prepared to swim/drift back to shore, you should be prepared to swim/drift back INJURED and WITHOUT your gear.
Wear a flotation vest of some kind.

Re: Flotation

Posted: Sat May 23, 2020 5:38 am
by airsail
There are some fairly good looking and not too bulky PFD’s available, I use one designed for sailing crews on skiffs/cats. It has a large pocket that has a cheap waterproof phone and mesh bag for pack down.
I only use the jacket when using foil kites offshore or when swell riding. The phone is handy to call off the coast guard, the general public often jump the gun calling them out out when your just swimming in.
Used to use Peaks but now Clouds for swell riding due relaunch issues.

Re: Flotation

Posted: Sat May 23, 2020 11:09 am
by mar menor
has a pocket and 'loop'to go around harness hook (and I also use with rope slider _mystic ) Also has loops on the back to attach hydration pack.Once you get used to it hardly notice it (exccept when you need to swim and then you really appreciate it)

Re: Flotation

Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2020 2:17 am
by jibskib
mar menor wrote:
Sat May 23, 2020 11:09 am
has a pocket and 'loop'to go around harness hook (and I also use with rope slider _mystic ) Also has loops on the back to attach hydration pack.Once you get used to it hardly notice it (exccept when you need to swim and then you really appreciate it)
Who makes this one (your picture)?
I have an impact vest, but wanting a more capable flotation vest for wearing with my non-buoyant drysuit.

I have only found NP and Ion in my early searches

Also using mystic slider most often. If I change to seat harness...wondering if that would sit low for the hold down loops?

Re: Flotation

Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2020 2:36 am
by airsail
I use one of these, designed for race sailing. Full neoprene, very soft and flexible. Hold down loop to go over harness hook. Nice big pocket to carry stuff, I use it for a waterproof phone when foiling offshore.

Re: Flotation

Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2020 9:26 am
by mar menor
jibskib wrote:
Mon Oct 19, 2020 2:17 am
mar menor wrote:
Sat May 23, 2020 11:09 am
has a pocket and 'loop'to go around harness hook (and I also use with rope slider _mystic ) Also has loops on the back to attach hydration pack.Once you get used to it hardly notice it (exccept when you need to swim and then you really appreciate it)
Who makes this one (your picture)?
I have an impact vest, but wanting a more capable flotation vest for wearing with my non-buoyant drysuit.

I have only found NP and Ion in my early searches

Also using mystic slider most often. If I change to seat harness...wondering if that would sit low for the hold down loops?
It is a prolimit,I use a seat harness and attach the harness loop to the 'small'loop on rope slider with a small cable tie (just break the cable tie at end of session) keep the ties in the pocket,cost about a euro for 50.

Re: Flotation

Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2020 11:57 am
by nothing2seehere
airsail wrote:
Mon Oct 19, 2020 2:36 am
I use one of these, designed for race sailing. Full neoprene, very soft and flexible. Hold down loop to go over harness hook. Nice big pocket to carry stuff, I use it for a waterproof phone when foiling offshore.
They look like they go pretty low at the back. Do you wear it with a seat or waist harness?

Re: Flotation

Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2020 12:56 pm
by Peter_Frank
geokite wrote:
Thu May 21, 2020 10:54 pm
Recently I had to swim in for the first time in many, many years. I wasn't wearing a pfd or impact vest, kite was Marabou (not LEI), and the board was a SS 42" DC. So out of the three, only one thing could float me in (the board).

Do you choose your session gear based upon the possibility of having to float in? Either having an LEI kite, or pfd/impact vest, or a board with enough volume to float you?
Is anyone riding a Peak4 with a tray board, no pfd/impact vest?

Yes, I do.

Never use any pfd apart from my waist harness.
Only when I have a wetsuit, I have this extra boyancy.

But I also dont ride further out than I can swim ashore with my tray board, just wearing shorts and my harness - the distance is somewhat further in the summer because of onshore winds and warm water.
Whereas in the winter and especially spring, I have a lot more buyancy from a thick full wetsuit, but still dont ride as far out because of the risk.

Would never wear an impact vest in the summer, when riding in shorts only - the whole experience of summer and freedom goes down the drain now, for me :(

Some might think this is being irresponsible, but it is ones own choice, just like if you wear a helmet or not.

Yes, it is horrible to swim ashore with a downed foilkite and a tray board, agree - so be careful.

If it is winter or cold water, and more sideshore wind, I sometimes choose a floaty big board instead.
So yes, I choose gear based on the possibility of having to float ashore, yes, and the given conditions.

8) Peter

Re: Flotation

Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2020 1:50 pm
by nothing2seehere
For me the buoyancy from a PFD is most useful during the pack down. Its so much easier to wind lines up whilst wearing a PFD than without one as you can lift your arms out the water without needing to tread water.

The swim in is going to be miserable regardless of any extra floatation - unless you get tangled in the lines. Then its going to feel life threatening.

Re: Flotation

Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2020 2:09 pm
by joriws
Also beware if you are using helmet and impact vest even on smallish lake waves. Your helmet will weight you down and even small waves make you bounce up and down. On smallish floatation of impact vest your wave-bouncing frequency will get out of sync so your head will submerge into every wave. I know local guy who had to ditch his helmet because of this to survive (he was on TT and swimming home, losing both). So please use proper PFD. I use 50N white water kayaking PFD. But sailing PFD is a good tip for me to investigate.