non approved jackets

i have never owned a non approved wakevest but was thinking abou buying a jet pilot vest. Can you tell a big difference between the two? If i bight it hard i dotn want to have to swim to keep my head up.

If you're KO'd a CGA vest won't keep your head up either.

Ive always had non-approved vest and depending on which kind you get, some will keep you afloat just a bit. I had an O'neill outlaw for the longest time and it held me up somewhat, nothing like an apporoved vest tho. Others like the Jet Pilot stance, barely does anything. I think non- approved are a little better because they are alot thinner and give you a little more movement. I just bought the La Baller by jet pilot and it seems pretty thick, so we'll see when i ride with it.

I think Blabelmooch is right Josh. For some reason, I wouldn't put stock in a CGA vest to keep your head above water if you have a severe fall. I personally don't ride with a CGA vest, mostly because I haven't found a comfortable CGA vest to wear. Maybe this will change if I find one that is comfortable. Good luck anyway. Oh, check out O'neill too!

If you're face down, you're face down. CGA vest or not.

I think by your own statement "If I bite it hard I don't want to have to swim to keep my head up." the choice should be obvious.

If it doesn't keep my head above water why would I drop the cash on it. Just wear your wetsuit and save the $100. I ride a cheap CGA. Foam pads and no neoprene. Bought it small so it fits tight. My buddies have sold their non CGA's that wouldn't keep their mouths out of the water and are like me now. Plus they dry in like 2 seconds and are safer and lighter. Everyone in my boat knows I get knocked out once a year.

The cool factor is definately not their though. mine is black teal and pink.

Yea but you all are overlooking a big factor ,being face down on top of the water where people can get to you and hope to save you or keep you from drowning is the point.If your face down on the bottom of a river,lake,or whereever your riding you wont be found for hours,days or maybe even a week or two so all bets are off.ACGA Vest will keep you above water where your chances of surviving increase from almost 0 to whatever number you want to put in because anything is better then 0...

i dont feel a cga vest is all that bad ,hell once yor riding and having fun i tend to be thinking of tricks,butter,the wake,music and whatever else thats in front of me ,not man i wish this vest wasnt so bulky.Its actually one less thing to worry about like say death .


anyway thats my oppinion but i feel it should be a no brainer...

i wore a non cga vest for a couple years and last year went back to a CGA vest. sure they are a tad bit more bulky, but honestly it is not going to stop you from doing any fancy trick. I'll never go back, as a cga vest floats you so much better. especially when you have a life threatening injury, which i know first hand.

I have an Oneil Outlaw and it floats me almsot as good as a CGA. I've used a friends jacket that was about as thick as a piece of cardboard and it could barely keep my head out of the water just laying there waiting for the boat to pull.

I've worn CGA vests, and Non-CGA vests. I've noticed that a molded vest doesn't keep you afloat as well as a non molded vest. My molded vest was an O'neill Stance (not CGA). I've switced to the O'neill Vapor (not CGA, not molded) and it floats me much better. Needless to say that neither vest floated me as much as a CGA vest. One reason that I really liked my molded vest was that it was like wearing nothing at all, but still floated me enough. I know it floated me enough because once I jumped in without a vest on and...well you get the picture, if you don't get it just try it once and you'll see. It all comes down to what's important to you. More bulky equals more float, and vice versa.

Dude ... just wear a floatie around your head cause no matter what your wearing if you get knocked out no jacket will prob keep your head out of the water.

think aboutit, if ur knocked out w/o a board on a CGA willprobably flip u over, but if u got a board on i dont think so