In a nice post from Captain Dan about a conversation he had with the SOSpenders people about his pre-Coast Guard approved inflatable PFD, he learned a bit about best practices for checking the safety of older vests. However, they would really feel a lot more comfortable if you got one of the newer vests, and to encourage you, they’ll offer a 25% discount, plus free shipping and handling if you’ll trade-in your old vest. Think about it.

 

I talked to Stearns/Sospenders today to learn more about the maintenance cycle for their pfd’s. They were aghast to learn that I had a (actually several) pfd that dated to the time before the Coast Guard approved inflatables.

They reminded me that wearing one of these models does not satisfy the CG requirement of one pfd for everyone onboard. (I knew that and carry type I’s for all hands).

Southern California Sailing Charters » More info on pfd maintenance