anyone wear a PFD regularly while kiting ?

yer my pfd is my beer gut

when I do my upwinders from Mullalloo to Hillarys and further I tend to go out pretty far and on such occasions I wear an NPX vest (floating not impact), just in case a line breaks or something else happens. So far I did not really need it .. touch wood..
My wife insisted that I wear the vest and I oblige .. happy wife .. happy life :)
Closer to beach I wear an impact vest when I practise or just cruise along ..
any reason you ask ?
regards
gmd

dusta said...

yer my pfd is my beer gut

If you combine that with man boobs your unsinkable.

The NPX is not as good as a big PFD1 (Australian Standards) but it is not as bulky and sits ok (it gets clipped into the hook and has straps on the side to avoid riding up).
I also have inflatable PFD1s for Kayaking but they have sit a bit loose and are not really suitable in the wind. So the NPX was a good compromise .. it does give me more floatation than the impact vest, but it does not have a neck cushion, so if you get knocked out for some reason it will not keep your head above water.
Still I think it is better than nothing especially when you are a couple of miles out, and you are supposed to wear a vest anyway ..
regards
gmd

gmd said...

The NPX is not as good as a big PFD1 (Australian Standards) but it is not as bulky and sits ok (it gets clipped into the hook and has straps on the side to avoid riding up).

My understanding is that NPX is one of the few Type 3 rated PFDs suitable for kiting (harness hook cutout etc).