hey i was wondering if wearing a wetsuit would provide enough flotation, or as much as a life jacket? if youve seen Rewritten, half the movie they're all rockin wetties without jackets. just wondering if thats a good idear or not

Please, always wear a vest, Better safe than sorry my friend

A wetsuit gives you no flotation.

CGA vests will make you float with your head upright so you can breathe. If you are ever knocked out from a fall, that is the effect you will want a vest to have. While a wetsuit provides a little feel of flotation, it won't necessarily help you float upright.

I believe only the type II (near shore) and possibly type I (off shore) will keep you afloat upright. Type III can float you face down. <BR> <BR>Please understand in the movies these are professionals and also have camera crews and prob medical teams there to get to the rider quick.

Some NCGA vests I've used have barely floated me, and I know they definitely float better than a mm of neoprene. Rock a vest for sure.

Rob come on man you knew the answer to this question before you asked it! Dry suits will give you tons of flotation no vest needed but you will def. want a vest with your wet suit

wetsuit= no floatation. Don't even try it.

Barefoot wetsuits provide flotation similar to CGA vests. Not sure if they're CGA approved, however.

Could just one, just one, professional wakeboarder chime in on one these threads and tell us how many times they have knocked themselves out, broken bones, or have had to been rescued from the water... I bet Randall has knocked himself silly a tons of times. I think if just one of them would step up and tell the importance of lifejacket we could put some of these "too cool for school" no lifejacket threads...

<b>Please, always wear a vest, Better safe than sorry my friend</b> <BR> <BR>Except when making a profile pic.<img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/lol.gif" border=0>

^^ haha busted!

That would be a barefoot Suit, so no, not busted

Andy G is right, most barefoot suits will float you but not many are CGA. <BR>I have an old Casad barefoot suit that I sometimes wear that is CGA.

Wetsuits do provide some flotation, I certainly notice the difference between surfing while wearing a wetsuit compared to boardies, but not enough to stop you from drowning. Wear a vest.

Don't ever expect a dry suit to act as flotation either. Any flotation you get from a dry suit comes from air trapped inside of it. If the seal of the suit is broken (torn gasket, blown zipper, etc) the suit can lose its air or fill up with water in a near instant. There is no substitute for a vest.

Triathletes and other competitive swimmers know that wetsuits do offer some limited flotation or bouancy but it would be negligible when compared to a CGA vest. A wetsuit is definitely not a safe alternative....not even close really. <BR> <BR>Now I and others have hopped into the lake more than once with our board and wetsuit on and started sinking thinking what the heck is going on. The wetsuit makes it feel like you already have a jacket on when you are on deck and it is easy to forget. This made for some nervous laughs.

<a href="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/1/742044.html?1255969703" target="_blank">http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/1/742044.html?1255969703</a> <BR> <BR>end of thread.. wear a vest

Take a lessons from many of those who used to not wear a vest, riders who have passed and recent experience like this weekend and wear your vest. Nobody can float if they are face down not breathing. Not preaching, just a fact!

I am now a big believer in CGA vests. I don't ever want to put the burden on somebody pulling me to be doing deep dives in murky water looking for my body. <BR> <BR>"CGA vests will make you float with your head upright so you can breathe." <BR> <BR>Keep in mind this statement is only true if you get ejected from your boots. If you get knocked out face down with your board on, no vest is going to flip you over.

<img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/742260.jpg" alt="Upload">

Luker is that how your new sponsors would like you to promote yourself and thier brand..... Think about it

wet suits do provide flotation

Soli - ^ Seriously? You obviously weren't around for the Saftey Rant post from a few months ago... My feelings on this stuff are very clear... and not likely to change regardless of the circumstance. Of course I appreciate getting some love from a company, but it doesn't mean its time to change the way I act or think, or start censoring what I say... my "forward" opinion and attitude are probably more than 1/2 the reason I got noticed in the first place.... plus it was a joke brodeo...lighten up <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/uhoh.gif" border=0>

Muff- Im not your mom but since you asked: NO it is not a good idea. period. wear a vest. I had the very unpleasant experience of watching an extremely talented rider float face down unconcious this past weekend and am very grateful for the vest that kept her floating so we could get her quickly back on the boat. I would not wish that experience on your family or friends.

well thanks for all the comments! and yeah i've been wearing a life jacket so no worries, and yeah ryan i pretty much did know the answer to that question haha i was just checkin'

haha good. Phhhheeeeewwww.<img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/happy.gif" border=0>

Also the comment about dry suits is scary. If you ever blow a seal in a dry suit it will fill up with water and drown you. Having a life jacket will be the difference between you surviving and not. Even with a jacket it is not a fun experience.