us coast guard approved or non coast guard aproved

what type of life jacket do ya think I need to get

well, that depends... if you get knocked out, do you want to float or sink?

Here we go again.........

I struggled with this same issue all year, going back and forth between non app. and app. The approved ones are just so bulky and limit mobility, but they do float well. The non approved jacket that I used this season (Quiksilver Ignite) seemed to be somewhat bouyant...I didn't really have to work to keep my head above water, and I felt like I was wearing a t-shirt rather than a PFD. I'm sure I didn't answer your question, but I thought I would atleast share my experience. Good Luck

Trew, your profile says your 10 years old, get an approved vest.

Agreed

get a approved vest.. its up to you they will both float you just the approved will so a better job and they are safer.

If you need to ask, you need to get an approved vest.

I agree whole heartedly with both what Randy and Scott said... Well put.

I need to wear a vest on land, i'm that lame.

scott, the sad thing is, you really do...

We are making the switch ourselves to CGA. I do miss the lighter feeling of non approved jackets though.

As an aside, I do wish the non-CGA vest manufacturers posted how much flotation they actually provide in lbs of flotation. A CGA vest must provide at least 15.5lbs of flotation so everyone is safe. The CGA / nonCGA makes everything black or white, but there is probably a lot of grey area. Some more bouyant riders may only need 6-8lbs of flotation to stay on top, others 13lbs, and those larger riders with almost no body fat will need the full 15.5lbs. If all the vest manufacturers posted the actual pounds of floation, you would have a lot better idea how much you are rolling the dice by wearing one. A vest that only provided 5 or 6 lbs of flotation is almost certainly going to fail in the most dangerous situations, while a nonCGA vest with say 12 or 13lbs of flotation will probably float most riders...key word being probably.

^^^bmartin^^^ where did you find the coast guard testing requirements for CGA vests?

Oneill Boost, the single greatest thing man has ever created

Delta riders - I just bought a CGA vest and happened to actually read the little booklet that comes with all CGA vests and found it there.

Get an approved vest Trew.

CGA all the way.

I switched to non-CGA in '01 or so, and then I switched back in '03 and never looked back. The extra "weight" and "bulk" is negligible and the extra safety is well worth it.

dont waste your money on a life vest, pros dont wear them, why should you?

I got a chance again today to have the 08 Jet Pilot Murray CGA vest in my hands and I have to say that it is very thin and light, as thin as most non approved vest, I would wait until 08 a pick up the CGA Murray vest.

Don't cut corners on safety equipment. Bad injuries can happen to anyone, but you're less likely to be permanently disabled (or dead) if you're wearing the best safety equipment. In this case, in my opinion the approved vest is the only way to go.

Go with the CGA. Better safe than sorry.

get one of those floatation belts that they used in the 70's or 80's... start a trend