Hi guys, I have an extrasport PFD that came without a lash tab, or any means to attach a rescue knife to it. I have been looking to buy just the tab to affix to my pfd but I am having trouble finding one. Also, I'm not sure how to attach it. My first instinct is to have it done professionally by a seamstress and just make sure she uses strong nylon thread but perhaps there is a better way?

Thanks for the help guys.

Sorry what do you mean by a lash tab? Do you mean a quick release strap for rescue?

I would be very wary of modifying any PFD as they are all constructed for a purpose and you would not want to damage its integraty.

As for attaching a knife don't do it! it can be a very dangerous object to have floating around your important bits, imagine an open blade being swished around by water and that damage it could do if it sliced an artery?

I just keep my knife in an easy to get to pocket and hope I dont drop it.

just a thought..

i think he is on about a clip inside a pocket to attach his knife to soo it dont fall out and loose it

alex

Put your knife inside a pocket in your PFD. Rambo died out long ago

A lash tab is the little square plastic tab that is raised at the ends so that a sheath can be clipped in. You can see it on the Greenjacket .

My rescue knife will definitely not fit into one of the jackets pockets, and I feel like if it is stuffed away in a pocket you may as well not be carrying a knife. The chances of being able to open the pocket, get the knife, open the knife and cut yourself free all while underwater seem pretty low. I doubt I (or most people) could coordinate that much with out being able to see or breath and with the forces of the water around you making everything much harder.

As an aside, the knife I have is similar to this in that it has a sheath that fully covers the blade.

Oh right learn something new every day

The chances of being able to open the pocket, get the knife, open the knife and cut yourself free all while underwater seem pretty low. I doubt I (or most people) could coordinate that much with out being able to see or breath and with the forces of the water around you making everything much harder.

I agree that is why I feel the knife is there for rescue work and making your lunch, cutting some meat, cooking at night

Lets get realistic here, do you know anyone, ever, who has used a knife when underwater sucessfully to cut themselves free? Bare reality is you have 30 seconds to a minute before you are going to start drowning. If you are swimming down feet first you are likely to be caught up behind you and unless you are insect man you won't be able to reach anyway.

Just a thought.

i agreee ^ i dont no anyone who has been able to get there knife out underwater also by the time u got ur knife out opened it up started cutting youself out your gonna be out of breath

There have been some cases but in most it will be a rescuer that does the cutting and not the victim.

Inside or outside is your own choice. Both have pro's and con's.
In South africa we used to do an excersise with trainee trip leaders where they had to hang onto tubular webbing with a tape knot in the end. The trainee was then lowerd into some rather violent current and had to hold on with one hand and with the other get their knife out and cut themselves loose. To pass the excersize the trainee had to bring the knot to the instructor (me). This excersize is the only way you will understand what it really feels like to try and cut yourself free.
This is a good excersise but please do not try it by yourself and also do not try it with out getting a proper protective glove for the arm that wil be holding the webbing/tape. a heavy duty welding glove works well but it must cover your arm all the way up to or past your elbow so that you do not cut yourself to shreds and bleed to death. Best option is to do a swiftwater rescue course and then on the course talk with the instructor about knives and the what,where,how etc

If you do decide to paddle with your knife on the outside of your pfd do not tie it onto yourself with long strings, if you do this and drop it in current it will act the same as the blade on a spinning fishing lure and can shred you easily.
River knives should also only be used for rescue situations, using it for lunch and things like that wil over time blunt the edge on your knife and then when your mate needs you to cut him free your knife might be to blunt to cut through the rope or tape.
you can also have a look at: asafrica.ning.com/profiles/blogs/paddling-gear-info

cheers

Nope still firmly believe that the knife is there for openeing beer cutting up borrie helping shred biltong or corking a nice bottle of wine, not to mention getting harribo out from between your teeth.

In South africa we used to do an excersise with trainee trip leaders

Used to? was it when you realised it was completly stupid or after an SRT course? Sorry buddy that is just one of the daftest and most dangerous training excersies I have heard of and thats after four years in the Army where we did really stupid excersises.

If you are getting into these situations in my book you are paddling well above your grade or the person being rescued is not up to it. in 15 years of paddling I have never once used a knife in any rescue situation and I hope I never have to. The best rescue is avoidance.

haha. Used to, becuase they changed what is done on the course many years back. only ever used my knife to cut the ropes that the guys tie the rafts on the trailers becuase they can't make proper knots.
I agree that it was a rather dodgy excersize but it did make the trainees understand that "The best rescue is avoidance." because it is extremely difficult to cut anything in very violent current even if you aren't the victim.
But anyway, I think the most important point made by anybody on this topic is from Slaphappy "The best rescue is avoidance."

To answer the original question, either google "lash tab" and/or go directly to Seattle Fabrics for the 4-way lash tab used on pfd's => www.seattlefabrics.com/sewable_hardware.html

There is at least one thread you can find with a little searching of someone else retrofitting a pfd with a lash tab as well. They pre-drilled the sew-holes on the lash tab and then used a loose stitch that could be cinched up once done in order to be able to see where they were sewing. There was also the recommendation to seal it with aquaglue (? - IIRC) for additional bonding.

Thanks for the help guys, although given the discussion I've heard here I think I will leave my vest alone and get a foldable knife for this PFD.

It's a shame though, I was kind of looking forward to the big honking knife on my chest.

I just took an SWR class yesterday and today, and when we were doing the strainer bar drill, one of the other participant's knife snapped off of the lash tab. The sheath is probably still on the knife, but it is underwater somewhere. I would put it on the inside of my PFD, but I can't get the knife back off of the lash tab easily. A few of the other guys have also lost several knives on the outside of a PFD. The instructor had an Astral 300, where he had a pocket for his knife made on his shoulder strap. Also, I realized that the NRS Pilot's glass breaking point on the handle can be really painful when it repeatedly stabs you in the thigh .

Basically, get a knife and put it in a pocket if possible, since lash tabs aren't secure under pressure.

I just did another swift water rescue course this weekend to brush up on my skills and once again the instructor said to put your knife in your pocket... Different strokes for different folks though. Who says you have to drive at the speed limit? It's your life, it's your choice.. Just paddle as safely as possible to minimize the chance of a rescue, which happens when safety has gone wrong