Chaz is your SoS safe or do you...

[JimD]

Now that you know that you can not walk on water. (of any depth anyway)

We need to sit down and discuss this. I took my sos off and wore my life jacket on Satuday in the surf esp with waves breaking over the kayak as I went out.

Question for all-

Is an SOS safe enough to yak or surf fish with 4+ surf?

What if he had flipped the yak and hit his head?

What if the Co2 did not go off?

What if his HOOK had stuck in the Sos and not his shirt?
Would it have stayed inflated long enough?

When is it the right time to put the convience of the sos aside and go for the safety of a regular life jacket?

[cyberyakker]

That's a topic that I have brought up before. I like the look and feel of the inflatables, but somehow I feel unsafe. I always use a conventional.

[Birdsnest]

We had a good discussion on this topic last week. I feel deep water constitutes a floatable (noninflatable) type 5 PFD. I love the SOS suspenders. But, I only use them in the bay/flats. If there is surf or any depth over five feet, I use my Lotus pfd. Just my 2 cents.

[CajunDude]

I will not enter the surf with inflatables. Conditions in the Gulf can quickly change and things can go wrong. I'm not ready to trade the inflatables for a conventional vest when fishing skinny water and I'm sure an argument can be made that many of the same risks are present in protected water (CO2 not going off, hook thru the vest, hitting your head etc.) I just think the risks are much greater in the surf however, especially if fishing alone.

[vincent]

The only time I use my Sos in the surf is when I wade..You might want to inflate it to experience how full they inflate and at what rate..and adjust your straps after its inflated...during my first test of the SOS I was almost in a panic..VERY tight and VERY full..watch wade boxes etc ..but the straps were way too tight once inflated.

[fishin']

I love the light weight of the SOS but only use it in shallow water. I use the SOS wading flats and rivers. I use the yak jacket for deep water, cold water, and rough water. Definitely would wear the regular jacket in the surf. I wear the regular jacket in swift water regardless of the depth or temp. and when I will be around many power boats. And I always have the regular jacket in the boat to change as weather/conditions merit.

I'm very glad that Chaz was not injured. Maybe his experience will be an awakening to many of us about the SOS or general safety concerns in the yaks. Opened my eyes a bit wider.

[TKFStubb]

I'm seeing some really good judgement exhibited in these replies. Inflatables are great when there is no immediate danger. Fine to use in flat, shallow water. But, when there is a chance that you might need flotation AND have both hands free, the traditional PFDs are best. Case in point... I was working the mouth of Rollover Pass a few weeks ago and I thought I was well outside the big breakers...NOT! A big roller caught me broadside just as I was about to hook my anchor to the carabiner and flipped me in a millisecond. I was in about 7' of water , my tackle box was filling with water fast, and my Curado SF (with new ceramic bearings) was in my lap the last time I saw it. The next thing I knew, another wave caught the yak and dumped it right on top of my head. I was able to go under and plant my feet on the bottom and flip the yak back over, but there was no way I was going to get back in that yak with the waves hitting me like they were. My paddle leash broke off at the paddle, and the anchor was long gone. All this time, I was trying to find the little yellow tag that had "been in my way" when I was trying to cast. Of course, the SOS are much more comfortable than a normal PFD, but they are even MORE comfortable if you don't buckle them up; right? By the time I found the pull tag, I was able to stand up...about 50yds down the beach from where I turtled. It wasn't needed then. I gathered my senses, waded on in and started picking up everything that had floated ashore by then...the yak, my cooler, and my paddle were scattered down the beach for about 200yds. No tackle box, no anchor, no Allstar and Curado, and absolutely no pride! About the time I caught my breath, the Coast Guard helicopter buzzed me to see if I was dead or alive. Someone at the burger shop had called them. If the tide had been going out, or the wind and been a little different, the Coast Guard would be recovering a body, not waving at an exausted TKFStubb.

Lessons learned:
[b]Do Wear GOOD PFD that doesn't require activation.
Don't carry anything out thru the surf that won't float on its own (my rods now have "floaties" attached, dorky looking or not)
Don't go out alone even if the trout are busting right off the beach...at least enlist another fisherman on the beach to call the Coasties if you get in trouble.
Don't be ashamed to share your near death experiences with your buds, no matter how embarrassing they might be, in hopes that they may not repeat your stupid mistakes. Thanks, Chaz, for sharing your experience and giving me the guts to share mine. [/b]

[Chaz]

Hey JimD,

After the postmortem of the event (not me!) and lots of great insight by everyone here, I have decided to go with the noninflatable life vests in the surf....and even in getting to places that don't seem so danger-ridden.

We all have a bunch of lines around us all the time and as my experience shows, it doesn't take many lines to get you into trouble. I think about the times I've paddled across ship channels and shudder to think about being T-boned by a boat as I paddle across and then not be able to pull the lanyard.

Thanks TKFStubb for sharing your experience as well. If we can save one guy along the coast from this dialog it's worth it all.

[JimD]

Heck I am enbarased about my flip which was my first. I did the hard stuff and quit thinking a minute while in 3 ft of water on the 2nd gut. I felt it starting and bailed out. In three ft of water I had the boat up after the first wave had hardly gone by. It was the bag of plastics that got the boat flipped #2 while walking over reaching for plastics and not worrying about the boat and the two rods.

Tom- It has been discussed but what is the best box to carry thing is? I had a single box in the duo net with 10 baits. Ever seen what 10 baits do to a net? Mine poped open after the second flip while trying to get the bag of plastics.

I have the dorky Acadamy rod floats and they do work.

Is there a box or bag that works better so a box can be secured to the boat now that I know the plastics will pop open?

[TKFStubb]

My daughter bought me a neat tackle pack at Academy for father's day that has 3 #370 boxes and one small fly box in a tackle bag with secure bunji closures. It also has a pocket on the end that will hold your water bottle so I'm thinking I'll put it where my water bottle holder is on my T120 AND a bunji to my Scotty Rod holder. I was sure that the tackle box I lost would float...and it did...about 2 months earlier, filled with soft baits and topwters. But in the meantime I'd added spoons, mirro lures, leadheads, hooks, snaps, etc, etc, etc. Now, I've added a big float I picked up beachcombng to add a little more bouancy.