hey guys and gals, my name is Jay and i am from vancouver island bc canada. i have never paddled before and just bought a used playboat. i picked upa riot dominatrix 44, a kober paddle and a Perception harmony sparya skirt. not sure if this set up is a decent one, but i got it pretty cheap.

i have a buddy who has been playboating for a few years and he will show me the ropes.
i have a helmet as well, just need a PFD. what is a low profile type at a decent price. going to be doing mostly flatwater lake stuff for the next few months.

i am 5'8" and weigh 175lbs.

i have been doing lots of searching on here and there is a tonne of info to be had.

thanks
J.

any tips or pointers are welcomed.

Its probably worth spending a bit of money on a good new pfd, just remember, thas the thing thats gunna save your life if something goes wrong!!

Just a thought,

seth

I'd advise you to get a vest type PFD as they have more freedom of movement over a jacket type. Make sure that it fits well and will not ride up if you end up swimming. A pocket on the front is also pretty useful.

Most of the leading makes in north america are tested but that doesn't mean that they are good for kayaking in?!

Go for something from Lotas, Extrasport, Astral or Stolequest. Just go into your paddling shop try a heap on before you buy and get the one you like the best.

I have a dominatrix 44, nice playboat good for flatwater tricks.

I am a huge fan of Astral bouancy life vests. I barely even know that mine is there. The others just feel like big slabs of foam.

agreed, i have an astral and LOOOVE it! it is super comfortable and pretty fucking awesome..

[quote:1ce937f470="JayN"]hey guys and gals, my name is Jay and i am from vancouver island bc canada. i have never paddled before and just bought a used playboat. i picked upa riot dominatrix 44, a kober paddle and a Perception harmony sparya skirt. not sure if this set up is a decent one, but i got it pretty cheap.

i have a buddy who has been playboating for a few years and he will show me the ropes.
i have a helmet as well, just need a PFD. what is a low profile type at a decent price. going to be doing mostly flatwater lake stuff for the next few months.

i am 5'8" and weigh 175lbs.

i have been doing lots of searching on here and there is a tonne of info to be had.

thanks
J.

any tips or pointers are welcomed.[/quote:1ce937f470]


Best thing to do is go to as many outdoorsy Mtn. Equip. Co-Op-type stores as you can, try on a bunch, try them OUT if possible in the water.
See what YOU like, see what OTHERS like
(Paddling.net has an equip. review page, I trust my fellow paddlers to give my the real skinny on a product than I do a Rep or or a paid reviewer)

Good luck!!!

went out again today with some buddy's in there playboats. pretty fun. just getting familiar with the feel of the dominatrix. it is a pretty edgey boat.

any body ever tried using a wakeboard pfd? found a nice ripcurl one today and it fits really nice.
more of a wet suit material with the foam inside.

usually ski vests dont have as much flotation are it seams to me would not offer alot of movement

You should go with an established company such as Lotus, Stohlquist... At the end of the day the jacket just needs to fit properly and feel comfortable. There are people who say that a side entry jacket is the way to go. Others will tell you that a front entry jacket is the only way to go. Ultimately it depends on you personal preference. If you have a short torso some pfd's will not fit properly. If it is long then another style will fit the best. Ultimately look for features such as a front pocket. A usable knife lash tab, some are in the most inconvienent spots, and if possible the option of upgrading to a rescue belt later on. If you boat enough then it may be something you are interested in, the harness.

My personal top three low cut freestyle/river-runner vests (in no particular order)

1) Kokatat Orbit
2) Stohlquist X-tract
3) Astral Aquavest 300

[quote:1b41bd421b="VAPaddler1324"]usually ski vests dont have as much flotation are it seams to me would not offer alot of movement[/quote:1b41bd421b]

I also wakeboard and althought I wouldn't use my wake vest for kayaking they do offer alot of movement and are more comfortable than a kayaking pfd.

Both are generally type 3 pfd so they offer about the same flotation.

My wake vest is a ripcurl stealth.

I agree with westerncanoekayak. Find a jacket that fits and stick with a manufacturer that has been at it for a while like Lotus, Stohlquit, Kokatat (i am sure there a lots I am missing)

i would stick to a kayak pfd rather than a impact vest. try the astral play vest very comfy and not to badly priced