How to Find the Best Kayak Life Vest for Women
kayak 9 image by Jerome Dancette from Fotolia.com
How to Find the Best Kayak Life Vest for Women
Overview
A kayak life vest, or a personal flotation device (PFD), is a necessary piece of kayaking safety gear that provides buoyancy should you fall into the water. Regardless of type and size of watercraft, the U.S. Coast Guard requires each person carry a PFD on board. Women-specific PFD's are customized for a better fit and improve their effectiveness as a life preserver.
Step 1
Torso length of the PFD should be short. To maximize mobility while paddling, women's PFDs will be shorter in length and have a racer cut on the back of the vest. The shortened length allows for a versatile and snug fit across the waist and chest, will prevent the PFD from riding up above the shoulders and will not interfere with the kayak seat back.
Step 2
The PFD should have built-in contoured cups. Built-in contoured cups wrap and support the bust line rather than crush or flatten.
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Step 3
The PFD should have adjustable shoulder and waist straps with side-release buckles. Adjustable straps allow you to customize the fit of your PFD for comfort and maximum safety. A vest that fits snugly will keep you afloat should you fall into the water.
Step 4
Over the head or side-zip design prevents the PFD from coming undone during use. Life vests with a center-zip closure can unzip during a wet re-entry into your kayak. An over-the-head design or side-zip closure prevents the zipper from pulling down when getting back into the kayak in the event of capsize.
Step 5
The PFD should have storage for safety gear. Two front cargo pockets are essential for carrying safety gear such as a whistle, a knife and food. The vest should also have reflective tape on the front and back to allow for visibility in low light.
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Tips and Warnings
- To care for your PFD, rinse after each use and let the vest dry before storing.
References
Photo Credit
kayak 9 image by Jerome Dancette from
Fotolia.com
About this Author
Cathleen Calkins is a writer and photographer specializing in writing about travel, adventure, lifestyle, health, fitness and brand identity since 1998. Her work has appeared in "Backcountry," "Telemark Skier" and "The Rotarian" magazines, as well as "LA Weekly," "Las Vegas Review Journal" and a number of adventure travel and marketing websites. She holds a Bachelor of Science in hospitality management from Rochester Institute of Technology.
Read more:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/12...#ixzz19uTjXPrH