SPINLOCK DECKVEST LITE
Price £109.95 spinlock.co.uk
Pros: stylish, slimline feel, easy to repack and few things to snag.
Cons: might feel a little restrictive or suit larger bodies. This is a stylish, comfortable, sculpted jacket at a competitive price point.
It really took some effort to get it to activate manually, so it’s worth checking the wearer is strong enough to do this (it does auto-inflate but the wearer should always be able to activate a lifejacket manually in case auto-inflation fails). It has one of the brightest bladders in a fluorescent yellow, but when in the water the waist buckle slipped too easily, became loose and needed retensioning. Double check the buckles and their friction mechanism as new webbing straps have a tendency to slip until there’s a natural ridge worn into the webbing. It was very comfortable when worn in the dry and in the water and it was very easy to locate the clearly labelled lifting strop. I love the slim, body hugging profile of this when worn every day.
In water 8 / Adjustability 9 / Buckle 9 / Comfort 8 / Practicality 10 / Equipment 8 / Visibility 7 Arming check 7 / Repacking 9 / Style 9 / Score 84%
BALTIC ATHENA
Price £139 www.baltic.se
Pros: specific women’s cut. Comfortable and easy to move around in. Easy to fasten in all conditions. Easy to repack and check the firing mechanism.
Cons: some testers found the bladder uncomfortably tight around the neck when inflated.
Finally, a lifejacket designed to cater for women sailors! The main element of this design is that it places the 33g CO2 inflation valve on a diagonal axis lower down the leg of the jacket than typical designs, in order to sit below the bust and prevent discomfort and chafe. Paula commented how comfortable this lifejacket was to wear in the dry and that it fitted her form really well, though the fastening uses an unusual crossover Velcro method which takes a little getting used to. In the water, Anna noted how tight around the neck the bladder felt when worn over her foul weather jacket and needed to release a little air from the valve to allow her room to breathe.
In water 6 / Adjustability 9 / Buckle 10 / Comfort 9 / Practicality 8 / Equipment 8 / Visibility 7 Arming check 8 / Repacking 9 / Style 9 / Score 83%
CREWSAVER CREWFIT 180 PRO
Price £99.95 crewsaver.com
Pros: understated style. Fitted with sprayhood and light as standard. Well designed wide bladder. Very comfortable when worn day to day. Easy to adjust.
Cons: unpacking and repacking is a bit of a fiddle and rearming the firing mechanism can be tricky. Built with additional buoyancy (180N) to float the casualty higher in the water, this has a Peninsula Chin Support intended to keep the casualty’s airway clear of the water to reduce the likelihood of secondary drowning in rough conditions.
