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I recently saw one for sale extremely cheap (~$30) at a major retailer that rhymes with “haul cart”. It says in the description that the co2 cartridge is not included and must be bought separately. This borders on negligence and will most definitely end up with someone dead because they didn’t read the instructions

Co2 cartridges only good for 3 years so yours is no good

Thanks this gives me another idea for hanging my pool noodle curtain rods.

I like how you flattened the back if the noodle. I have the volume

Two weeks ago I dumped my yak. I was wearing a self- inflating PFD. The PFD inflated kept me afloat and I got my yak to a sandbar where I was able to pump out the water and get underway again. The downside is after that accident I had no PFD for the rest of the day. It is not comfortable to wear after it is inflated. The recharge kit was about $20.00. The cartridge lasts a long time. The element that causes the inflation should be changed every 3 years. I've had cartridges that were over 10 years that worked fine during a test I did on old cartridges. The element is the weak link, if anything is going to fail it'll be the self inflation element.

JUST VEIWED VIDEOS WITH SAME DEPLOYMENT IN STORAGE IN BOAT ,BOATS NEVER ACTUALLY RAINED ON OR STORE OUT IN WEATHER !!,THEY DEPLOYED FDROM HEAT & HUMIDITY .SO i WILL FORGO THE COMFORT & RESORT BACK TO CONVENTIONAL PFD. THEIRS A GUY TESTING DIFF PFDS GOOD WATCH YOU BE SUPRISED AS WHAT WORKS BEST AS FAR AS HOW YOU FLOAT IN THE WATER

one of mine deployed in my storage in boat !! boat never rained on ,vest maybe worn 6 times!! THE ONLY MOISTURE IN BOAT IS WHEN REAL HUMID(I'M IN SOUTH LOUISIANA IS CONDENSATE ON STORAGE LIDS. LESSON LEARNED REMOVE THEM FROM BOAT ,OR GO BACK TO STD. PERSONAL PFD'S!!! THINK i WILL GO BACK TO TRIED & PROVEN LOW MAINT. DEVICE

I've had several of these inflatable PFDs. I bought my first around 2002. My wife and I both use them. Ours have always come with the cartridge installed and ready to use. That said, it is always a good idea to check your equipment on a regular basis. I tested ours once several years ago and they both inflated, but the seams had deteriorated and they split open upon inflation. They would have been useless in an emergency.

Great video. Off to check my new vest.

I’ve got one ordered, I’m happy to say. I am glad I saw this video, cause I definitely assumed they came preloaded. Thank you for posting.

Great so you had the vest for 5 years and never inspected it to make sure it was in working order? They also need to be inspected for tears and also that the deployment tabs are fresh at least yearly.

I’ve been debating on buying one , thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Calcium Phosphorus Copper Iodine Zinc Manganese Vitamin A,D,E Selenium Sodium

Takes time in 5 yrs of running 4 mineral sites we noticed a substantial increase in deer on out property’s, as for antler development it does work people are not patient enough

Thanks for sharing your experience.

I bought one with co2, then sold it without using it because I thought the other type of vest that has no co2 but has foam instead is safer, but kinda thick and uncomfortable to wear, but at least in my mind I'm safe should I fall in the water, rather than relying on the vest with co2 but will fail me when I need it...

Great video! Can’t wait to see what’s to come of your property. Keep the videos coming.

Thank you so much for sharing, this is great information, your video will probably save some lives..

Thank you because you saved my life.

Inflatable life jackets are for people who know what they are doing. Just yesterday I inspected and inflated mine before the season and I replaced the piece that reacts with water to inflate it. If you can't be bothered to be serious about it, do yourself a favour and skip an inflatable life vest and instead get one made out of foam so that it is guaranteed to always work for you when you need it. There is a lot of things that can go wrong with an inflatable life jacket. It can get worn out or pierced as you go about your day. It can get old and fail. The CO2 cartridge can get unscrewed. The cartridge can get rusted and leak out the CO2 (there is only very thin piece of metal foil that prevents it from leaking out). The manual activator can get tangled or pushed inside and be unavailable when you need it. The only way is to regularly inspect your life jacket. Open it up, inflate it. Inspect your cartridge, inspect the activator, the lever, the pin, the cords, etc. Inspect the pressure compartment itself if there are any signs of wear that could cause it to fail when you need it the most.

Thanks for sharing, I'm getting ready to buy two of them.

I bought two inflatable vest, Instructions, and two attached tags explained that they were not armed. I reconfigured mine so they were manual with the cord. You can look at it different ways, one if set as automatic, if you slip and fall in the water while loading the boat and or gear, it's going to cost $25.00 and if you don't have a spare CO-2 cylinder, you need a different vest. I guess you blow it up manually, but a temp regular vest would be better. Read the Instructions. Thanks for bringing this to a lot of peoples attention, and some buy these things at yard sales and second hand stores without instructions. Inside there is instructions that stay with the vest. Check for the CO-2 cylinder and green marker for operation, if its red find out why.

All the vests I've ever purchased never come with the c02 cartridge installed. Always had to install to activate the vest. Same thing like a smoke detector, pull the yellow tab.

Ty

Dumb A

I have 3 vests, from diff manufacturers-- CO2 came installed. All manual, not auto inflate, which is my preference. What everybody needs to do is test their vest to make sure all seems are solid, and that when it inflates it doesn't choke you. To death. It happened to a guy off buoy 10 at Astoria. Big dude. The vest killed him. I have a waist inflatable, and I can hardly get that thing around my head unless I let out some air.

You forgot the second, maybe first important part of the system, the pill. What makes the cylinder go off when you hit the water? There is a pill or tablet about the size of an aspirin that dissolves very quickly. This pill holds the firing pin at bay when you are dry and when it gets wet it slams against the cylinder and fills the jacket. This pill should be changed every season.

Had these from the time they came out. As with anything service it every year.

Did the same thing bud. I read the instructions and thought it was telling me how to install the cylinder as if inwere replacing it. SMH..

Good to know

An Onyx vest saved my life on Lake Bourne in LA a couple years ago. Seemed like an eternity looking up at the surface and being unable to swim up until it started to inflate. It was in the winter in a fishing tournament, the extra snivel gear when wet was like an anchor, , I’m a strong swimmer but there was nothing I could do. WEAR A VEST AT ALL TIMES ON THE WATER.

Very good advice I have 3 of them and I am going to to check mine out

20$ and you can replace it every year.

Every two years jump in a swimming pool with inflatable pfd on and check deployment and look for leaks. After get new cylinder and (aspirin) water soluble disk.

Never buy a manual pull, because if you get knocked out in the water you will be at the bottom on the lake, buy a regular life jacket or spend the extra money and get the automatic life jacket, yes it cost a lot more but just how much is your life worth ?

Bruh, now I wonder if you should even be running a boat... if you were so oblivious to that, I'd be worried about your awareness in general. No offense meant.

Was considering buying one but I think I’ll stick with my old one

Good Luck David! Emile

That’s why you are supposed to check them for green showing before every use. Also, be sure to read the instructions and replace the bobbins when they are out of date.

Yes good comments. A man I worked for bought 2 second hand good quality inflateable life vests for his boating trips. After returning from one of his trips. I had to put all his gear away as he just beached the boat and walked away. I took it upon myself to inspect the life vests. And guess What?the co2 cylinders were both spent. He didn't have a clue all those times he was in danger. I told him to renew and replace the cylinders with all the correct information. Well he shrugged it all off and didn't bother his arse.👎👎

Thank you , great information ! 👍

Great job. I like the pool noodle modifications. Thanks for sharing!

I admire that you have the confidence to admit this mistake to warn others. My Bluestorm came with large warnings that they are shipped unarmed and that you must install the CO2 cartridge to arm it.

I have a Mustang vest with a Hammar inflator. They are more expensive, but Hammar inflators don't go off by moisture. They go off due to pressure. This means you need to be in at least 4 inches of water for it to go off. There is also an indicator, right on the inflator. Green, you're good, red, you need to replace it. They are a sealed inflator, meaning the cylinder is attached permanently. My vest was around 300 bucks, and the inflators are 80 bucks every 3 years. Yea, that may be expensive, but this is a life-saving device. If your life jacket saves your life, I guarantee you won't care how much it costs.

Great review I’m looking for a inexpensive blind for hunting pigs I can sort of leave semi portable Plenty of space Ample view I can brush it in and leave for a few months Plenty of space inside I can live with the zippers going in and out Not worried about the weight setting it up I can drive close to the spot Looks like a decent buy

I have a Mustang life vest and the cartridge was already installed. The cylinder needs to be replaced every three years and checked annually

I’m looking to get one of theses while their on sale. If the sagging is your only problem I’d recommend glue a string ( mason cord ) above the center of opening cut a small hole where needed and use string to open to desired height. Just saying.

wow!!! very serious lifesaving advice!!!!

"Found at Academy" just went to check my mail and found one in my front tree line. We live out in the middle of nowhere, with no immediate neighbors. We just had a big storm, it had to blow 3-400 yards from across an agricultural field across the road. I was looking for info on how to fold it up.

I mostly fish old hickory for bass and catfish but never targeted striper. Whats the best way to find these fish on old hickory?