The right life jacket with ALL the systems, but good only if worn
by Lee Mylchreest on 15 Jan 2013
Premier Kru - with lots of included safety items and about as comfortable as you can get SW
There's no doubt that getting several safety products into one wearable system within your life jacket is the key to having more options when in distress at sea. But none of the safety products are useful if you aren't actually wearing the jacket. So the other challenge for life jacket manufacturers is how to make it so comfortable you'll be happy to wear it ALL the time.
The same applies to the MOB systems. (though the best MOB system is to make sure you stay on the boat.)
Ocean Safety, British specialist in, well, ocean safety, has put together the ultimate in comfort combined with the latest gizmos which will contribute to your safety. Affording it all may be another issue, but it IS another issue, so let's start with the best combinations.
The Kru Sport Pro lifejacket, with its barely noticeable low profile design, is fitted with the Kannad R10 AIS Survivor Recovery System and the powerful AQ98 lifejacket light. Together these make the chances of surviving in the sea plus being located and being recovered all immensely improved.
This life jacket, or more accurately, waistcoat, looks and feels as comfortable and stylish as lifejackets get.
It is unobtrusive and lightweight, allowing it to be used just as effectively over a T-shirt in the summer, as over a full set of foulies in a winter gale.
It features an integral sprayhood and can be specified with automatic or manual inflation and either with or without a harness.
It also exceeds the regular 150 Newton standard by 25 Newtons, courtesy of a high-capacity 38g inflation gas cylinder. It’s another example of a modern jacket that makes a mockery of the traditional excuses for not wearing your life jacket.
The second 'string to the bow' is the Jonbuoy recovery Module with R10 fitted. This is another magic combo, where the Jonbuoy Mk5 Recovery Module itself is innovatively equipped with the same Kannad R10 that can accurately locate the person in the water. So that's flotation, recovery, survival, and location, all put into one small approved life saving canister. The combo is highly visible and quick and easy to deploy towards the person in the water.
No doubt there will be other products that equal and outdo these in the near future, but at the moment Ocean Safety's recommendations seem right on the button.
Check them out (along with others): http://oceansafety.com
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