SJ23 Tech Tip J06, (Created 2019-06-21) Bob Schimmel, Roy Fisher

Index

PFD Selection & Maintenance.
 

When the inflatable PFD came on the market I thought they were a real blessing.  No more bulky jacket leaving free movement to move comfortably.  Way more floatation.  It packed with much less volume.  Finally a jacket that didn't snag on the shrouds as you walked by.  Much cooler to wear in hot weather.  On the other hand, it is cooler during cold weather, something I didn't like.  There were three models to buy: manual inflation, automatic inflation and the version equipped with a sailing harness. 

There are limitations to a PFD that many people have forgotten.  A PFD is not a "brain dead" flotation device like a foam filled jacket is.  Human response under stress results in a compete loss of fine motor skills.  Gross motor skills are the only thing you have left.  You do not have any control over this.  That is why a person can’t use a manual inflator or pull the trip cord when they are in a “flight or fight” response mode.  Not one of us is going to perform sufficient number of repetitions to respond in a life cheating situation.  These are the reasons why military and emergency personnel need to develop what is known as “muscular memory.”  This is developed through many hours of repetitive action which is precisely why the military, police, fire fighters, etc. spend hours and hours doing drills.  They are developing muscle memory.  No one has a good substitute for hard work.
 

The following axioms illustrate the problem of why & when, under the stress of a life threatening circumstance, a person cannot find or pull the inflate cord nor pull out and operate the manual inflator.
 

  • “We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training."

  • "Success is based on the human ability to train to the point that when faced with a critical situation someone has practiced the responses so many times that it has become an immediate reaction occurring without thought."

  • "Nobody has trained themself to react without thought to inflate manually or pull the cord.  To believe that is simply nuts."   Roy
     

For this reason you should consider which style PFD to buy; auto or manual inflation and with or without a harness.  After that you must maintain the PFD and treat it kindly like your life depends on it, which it does.

OFF SEASON MAINTENANCE - I bought two jackets in 2003 and besides the bit of frayed fabric on the outside they are in perfect condition.  This is due to continued care and off the season maintenance they receive.  At the end of the sailing season I spray the bladder with silicone and hang it from the harness in a cool dry place.  This serves many purposes:

  • I inflate the bladder manually. 
    - Teaches you where to find the manual inflator tube and how to use it.
  • The inflated bladder confirms it is air tight.
    - My jackets are still fully inflated 5 months later.
  • I leave the bladder inflated over winter to prevent wrinkles. 
    - Permanent creases in the bladder can eventually crack and leak. 
  • I removed the CO2 cartridge and inspect the seal.  Then grease the cartridge thread to prevent corrosion.
  • I pull the cord to verify the operation of the valve.
    - Teaches you where to find the pull cord and how much force is required to pull it. 
  • At the beginning of the sailing season you deflate the bladder and fold the jacket along its factory folds.  This is easier to do if you suck the air out of the bladder.  Once folded I open the inflator tube to allow a tiny bit of air back in the bladder.  This relieves the stress on the bladder creases.

 

These replacement CO2 cartridges are made in Austria.

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