Comp Life Jackets

I just got a new cardigan comp pull over vest and am afraid that it's too small. I have trouble getting it on but have never had a pullover before my chest size is a 43 so it's in the limits of a large, which I have but it just feels like its squeezing me too much do they stretch out at all and is it harder or easier to get on/off when it's wet?

If it is a little too tight then you got the right size. They stretch a ton. If it fits you when you buy them, they will eventually be so big they flip around when you fall, or even rip off you.

I dunno it depends on the jacket I think. I had a Billabong Modernizm vest in the smallest size I could find and within a year it was all stretched out and my XL/XXL dad uses it now. After I got a Billabong Dominator X in medium (my tshirt size) which is a really similar jacket and its just as snug as ever. I think its due to the glideskin that covers the whole outer part of the jacket.

Also I got an O'Neill Checkmate in the smallest size I could find and the stitching kept ripping on me

Love the JetPilot ChrisO vest. Very similar feel to the pullovers I've had, but it has a zipper and buckle, which keeps it from stretching out so bad, and from rolling up on falls.

yea i have the O'neil pull over, the one before the checkmate (don't remember the name), but it started out as my brothers who is a good bit smaller than me, and now its mine as its stretched a whole lot over time. they have to make them tight so they won't fall off or get ripped off. you'll find a good way for you to take it off, i find it easy to get off by either crossing my arms, grabbing it from the bottom and pulling it off or sticking my arms back through the arm holes and pullin it off, but you're going to stretch it no matter what you do.

One arm through the hole and lift, helping with the other. Mine hasn't stretched after 1 season so far