Impact Vest With Decent Flotation

[iriejohn]

I use an ion booster
https://www.ion-products.com/water/men/ ... er-x-vest/

Definitely more float. Rides up a bit in the water.

Pockets surprisingly useful.

It rides up with harness, but it’s easier to push back down than a vest that goes under the harness that rides up.

Would love one that goes under the harness and stays down.

My floatation/impact vest goes under the harness and stays down.

I have a Prolimit impact/flotation vest, front zip, half padded, side impact padding, with outside grip on the back so my waist harness doesn't slip. Works for me.

I use it with a Mystic Majestic X waist harness and Stealth rope bar btw.

[TimG]

You’ve pretty sold me on this. Is it comfy?

I like it a lot. IMO quite unnoticeable while riding, gives warmth on our spring waters. Easy to put on. Earlier white water kayaking PFD shoulder straps lifted up and rubbed my neck with same smart shell.

do you have any pictures of it with a kite waist harness?

I took one for you, note I did not tighten the PFD staps for the selfie-picture..
forward_wip_impact_vest_brunotti_smartshell.jpg

Nice! Does the waist harness move around on you a lot? Or does it stay stationary.

[joriws]

Nice! Does the waist harness move around on you a lot? Or does it stay stationary.

Side-to-side I've not noticed on rope slider. Moving up happens during the session so couple of times per session while in water I pull harness down back to back arc. I think the pull is just cm or two, just to fix harness feeling against back. But this moving up does not move PFD up on me.

I think waist harness moving or tilting up is inevitable with direction of pull force. It is nothing like pro-videos with hook where hook points 30 degrees to riding direction and up. But this is my first waist harness I bought after few demos and I use it only with hydrofoil. Naturally I'd like the get rid of lowering waistie from back during 2-3h session but I'm not sure if it is possible. Wip solved my PFD going up with waistie at least the level I'd notice it.

[seppalord]

I can recommand this one:
https://www.camaro-watersports.com/en/s ... vest?c=121
Vest with very good buoyancy and good fit

[bkkite]

I use an ion booster
https://www.ion-products.com/water/men/ ... er-x-vest/

Definitely more float. Rides up a bit in the water.

Pockets surprisingly useful.

It rides up with harness, but it’s easier to push back down than a vest that goes under the harness that rides up.

Would love one that goes under the harness and stays down.

My floatation/impact vest goes under the harness and stays down.

I have a Prolimit impact/flotation vest, front zip, half padded, side impact padding, with outside grip on the back so my waist harness doesn't slip. Works for me.

I use it with a Mystic Majestic X waist harness and Stealth rope bar btw.

I tried a cheaper liquid force, a mystic one, and a ride engine one that went under my Majestic X, and they all bunched up and slide up... which is why I switched to one that didn't go under the harness. This Ion rides up a bit, but its pretty easy to push back down.

May try that Forward Wit sailing vest that @joriws is posting about

[Flyingseb]

I use to wear a Job impact vest, neoprene, 50 Newton, with a zipper and 2 buckles
To help hold it in place, I put a lycra tee shirt over it, then my harness (DK Fusion) with the tee shirt tucked in.
Visibility is just a matter of tee shirt color choice
Confort is quite ok, and added warmth is welcome: I can ride with a armless wetsuit in cold summer days (18°C)

[OzBungy]

Looks like Forward have brought out a whole range of vests. I think some of them are not on the market yet.

https://www.forward-wip.com/categorie-p ... /50n-vest/

I would go for the front zip. It looks like it's designed to work with a waist harness.

I've got a Neil Pryde vest with a side zip and the loop holding the vest locked the harness hook. I don't like it much.

The loop on the hook means the vest rides up when the harness does. That causes choking. I stopped using the loop and sewed some non-slip material inside the vest.

The side zip vests have velcro holding the zip closed. The velcro catches under the arm of a wetsuit and abrades a hole in it.

[joriws]

Looks like Forward have brought out a whole range of vests. I think some of them are not on the market yet.

https://www.forward-wip.com/categorie-p ... /50n-vest/

The side zip vests have velcro holding the zip closed. The velcro catches under the arm of a wetsuit and abrades a hole in it.

Good news. Neo and Impact vest were existing last summer I bought mine.

Impact vest model has side zipper but no velcro. It has buckles like backbacks. I have not noticed them squeezing my ribs with waist harness. Maybe the hook loop works only with seat harness. Not sure if it limits a little torso rotation??

[andylc]

The Forward WIP vest appears to be the only one with a defined amount of flotation as well as impact protection. The Ride Engine one claims to have flotation but then doesn't say how much. It looks more suited to kitesurfing though.
Anyone tried both??

[Oldman]

The Forward WIP vest appears to be the only one with a defined amount of flotation as well as impact protection. The Ride Engine one claims to have flotation but then doesn't say how much. It looks more suited to kitesurfing though.
Anyone tried both??

I've tried both. Prefer the Forward WIP cos of flotation. Also doesn't get in the way of harness