O'neill Outlaw..........Do you have to swim??

Im looking for a new vest and i want to try the Outlaw, im 185 lbs and im wondering if you all that have these vests have to swim at all to stay on top of the water? If so ill go with "the law", but id rather have the comp vest.

I'm 175 and it floats me really well.
I've tried a Nevin Swat and the thing didn't keep me afloat to well.

I'll never understand the comp vest craze. Haven't enough people died from not wearing a CGA vest?

I have an outlaw and love it. It floats me just fine. Once you wear a non CGA you will never go back. All of the CGA vests are way to heavy and bulky

I went back and I have no problems.

It may float you, but it's not gonna flip you on your back if you get knocked out on your stomach on a failed raley attempt.

i went back to cga and am very happy I did. not two months later i had a major injury and was very happy i had a CGA vest on. also, when i am riding i really don't notice it impeding my riding.

Neither will my cga or any other that I've worn. I've jumped of the boat face down and went limp on purpose(no jokes please ) and It didn't turn to my back. It kept me on top of the water but it didn't flip me over.

(Message edited by blabel on September 10, 2004)

"It kept me on top of the water but it didn't flip me over."

Strange, CGA vests are designed to. I imagine even the CGA wake vests are pushing the limits a bit. I have the Jet Pilot Cell Block which is super rider friendly and approved. I'll have to test it out this weekend and see if it flips me over.

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quote:

I'll never understand the comp vest craze. Haven't enough people died from not wearing a CGA vest?

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what's the statistics on people that have died wearing a non-uscga vest?

"what's the statistics on people that have died wearing a non-uscga vest?"

I'm sure there is at least one out there which is one too many. I broke my back two years ago and while I layed there unable to move I thanked everything holy I was wearing an approved vest. I'd have for sure died w/o it as my g/f at the time wouldn't have had the strength to get me on the swim deck had she even been able to find me.

Here's a post that was posted on our local wakeboarding site the other week. Anyways, I'm done. I'm not trying to preach and I know you guys will do whatever you want to do in the name of looking cool.

"Went out Sunday w\ Brent, Lisa, Kyla, and friends to Ray Roberts and had some good riding. Until the unthinkable “almost, thank god” happened, after a few decent sets of landing all of my bagged tricks I decided to step it up and try a raley. I have landed this trick recently and want to try it again. As I started my usual cut to the wake I noticed it washed a bit and I didn’t get the pop I was looking for. When I came down for my landing my toes dug in first. I knew I hit pretty hard and that I was conscious as I came up for air. I signaled to the boat that I was ok as usual, but then I knew something was wrong. I couldn’t breathe, the impact hit me so hard it left me gasping for air and caused me to black out. The rest of the story is blank for me but as soon as I blacked out I went face down, I wasn’t wearing an approved vest either and I started sinking. By the time Brent got to me he said I was completely under water and headed for the bottom. When he pulled me up to the surface I had a blue shade to my face and almost immediately started breathing again. The next thing I remember I was holding on to Brent motionless in the water trying to catch my breath not knowing were or what had just happened. Luckily I’m ok, just a very sore back today and the knowledge that I will NEVER wear an unapproved vest again.

Thanks again to the man upstairs for watching out and to Brent for being there "

Sorry to break the news, but Type III CGA vests (all approved waterski vests) are not designed to automatically roll you over and keep your head out of the water. They are designed to assist a conscious person in these actions, but not an unconscious person.

Quote from Coast Guard website:
"A TYPE III PFD, FLOTATION AID is good for conscious users in calm, inland water, or where there is a good chance of quick rescue. It is designed so wearers can place themselves in a face-up position in the water. The wearer may have to tilt their head back to avoid turning face-down in the water. The Type III foam vest has the same minimum buoyancy as a Type II PFD. It comes in many styles, colors, and sizes and is generally the most comfort-able type for continuous wear. Float coats, fishing vests, and vests designed with features suitable for various sports activities are examples of this type of PFD. This type inflatable turns as well as a Type II foam PFD."

Anyway back to the topic at hand. I love my outlaw. I'm about 190 lbs and wear an XL. You might fit a L but it may be tight. When floating in the water, it does keep me afloat but doesn't keep my mouth out of water. If I float with the board underneath me, I can easily keep my whole head out of water without any trouble. If I did get knocked out, I feel comfortable that I wouldn't sink to the bottom of the lake in this vest. Yes, I'd probably be face down in the water and floating low in the waterline, but at least I wouldn't be at the bottom. This does emphasize the need for an observer though, because someone needs to be able to pull you out of the water if you are unconscious. O'neill has also certified the Outlaw as meeting the flotation requirements of a "waterski wetsuit" and they are therefore legal to wear while riding. (see below) In terms of the law, wakeboarding would here be considered the same thing as trick skiing.

Quote from ABCs of the California Boating Law 2003:
"Every person on board a personal watercraft (PWC) and any person towed
behind a vessel must wear a Coast Guard-approved Type I, II, III, or V life
jacket. Exceptions: a person aboard a personal watercraft or being towed
behind a vessel on water skis if that person is a performer in a professional
exhibition, or preparing to participate or participating in an official regatta,
marine parade, tournament or exhibition. In lieu of wearing a Type I, II, III,
or V Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device, any person engaged in
slalom skiing on a marked course, or any person engaged in barefoot, jump,
or trick water skiing may elect to wear a wetsuit designed for the activity and
labeled by the manufacturer as a water ski wetsuit. A Coast Guard-approved
Type I, II, III, or V life jacket must be carried in the tow vessel for each skier
electing to wear a wetsuit."

i have the outlaw it keeps me afloat. i've been upside down unconcious in a CGA vest so i dont really know..lot less weight more flexibility.

Has anyone used "the law" and the outlaw? How much heavier/bulkier is "the law" than the outlaw?

While pulling a frontflip, about half the move I stopped the rotation and ended up crashing on my chest, I was without any air and certainly couldnt breath, but my O'neill Outlaw size M vest made me float on my back all the time.
I weight 72kg, not sure how many pounds are those. I'm really happy with the vest.