USCG approved or not?

Hey,
I was wondering if any of you guys ride with a non uscg approved vest on a public lake. Will they cite you for that? Anyone have any experience in this area. I am looking at getting one but I usually ride in state parks so I didnt know if they would give you a ticket or if they even know or check for that? Thanks

Do the non USCGA vests really provide enough buoyancy to keep you afloat if you are knocked out with the air out of your lungs? They might look cool but are they worth the risk and as said above there are some awesome approved vests so why look elsewhere, especially if you will get a ticket for it.

MattB wrote: Do the non USCGA vests really provide enough buoyancy to keep you afloat if you are knocked out with the air out of your lungs? They might look cool but are they worth the risk and as said above there are some awesome approved vests so why look elsewhere, especially if you will get a ticket for it.

Some will float you and some will not- There is a story on the web of a wakeboarder who sank after getting knocked out and was found by divers a few hours later and still wearing his JetPilot A10 comp vest. (NON CGA)

I ski in an Oneill Outlaw vest which is NON CGA as well, but it will float me- I have tested it by exhaling and trying to dive- it pulls me back up to the surface when I try this- but it does not float me as high on the surface as a CGA vest (if I exhale and hold my hands straight up I sink to about chin level).

The bottom line is that the amount of floatation required for a vest to be CGA approved is probably overkill (as it should be) so a Non-CGA approved vest that is "anywhere close" to the approved level would be fine and more comfortable... but there is no easy way to tell it from a vest that is not even close to providing adequate floatation without testing them yourself.

ya but basically it isnt worth it if you are going to get a ticket. I know there are some nice cga vests but the selection is limited. I had found a good deal on a non cga but I think I will keep looking for now.

Don't forget a little consideration for the guys you are riding with.....they are the ones that are going to try and find you at the bottom of a lake and try to pull you out.
One of the guys we ride with took a very nasty back edge and sank...luckily he wasn't knocked out otherwise he would have stayed at the bottom of the lake. Scary stuff for all of us in the boat at the time, the video replay afterwards was great with a beer though.

I would agree that perhaps some are overkill but how do you test a vest for its buoyancy without removing ALL of the air from your lungs and jumping in a lake?

I too ride both slalom ski and wakeboard with a A-10 vest and love riding with it. It does just barely keep my head above water so I guess it's a risk that I'm willing to take. In Georgia you must have some sort of floatation on while skiing, boarding, and etc, and that includes Ski-belts which are still allowed and I know that they are NOT CG approved.

It's no different than driving a boat w/o a life jacket on or kill switch as I have never seen anyone here use either while in the drivers seat. Could you hit something and get tossed overboard? Yes, but there again it's something that I'm willing to risk.

Bottom line is check the boating laws in which you live in or visit and see what they require. I do keep a CCA vest for everyone in the boat including myself even if I am wearing the non approved one. I've been using one for about 15 years and have not been stopped yet. If you don't draw attention to yourself by doing something stupid then they really have no reason to pull you over.

just my 2 cents.

anyone have any recommendations for CGA vests that are easy to move in?

kapla wrote: not only they need to float you but also keep your face out of the water...

Even a CGA approved vest may not float you with your face out of the water- Ski Vests have a "Type3" USCG Classification which does not require the vest to float you on your back- A "Type1" USCG is the only classification that requires a floatation device to float you on your back (face up), but a Type 1 is the generic orange (maybe camo) floatation device that goes around your neck and in front of your chest- there are no Type1 vests that I know of.

Friend of mine got this one, it's pretty nice.

kapla wrote: non or approved, is better than wearing nothing...and yes its very important to have a responsible crew, driver and spotter. Its useless to have the correct CGA vest, get knocked, face in the water..party in the boat..drinks..oopss, take more time than usual to turn around and those second are the difference...

Agreed 100%

Here in TX the law says you need an approve vest for everyone in the boat. The rope is considered part of the boat so you don't have to where it. Tried that once, first slap on the water almost boated me so I put the vest back on. When we go to OK they'll nail you for being without an approved vest if you're holding the rope.   Learned this from Ryan (SN206) who has some interesting ways to get around this with a barefoot suit.

I currently use a non approved vest that I got for my drysuit and decided I liked it year round.   I do wear quite a bit more gear than most and it's all strapped on so I have some extra flotation from that. The hydrofoil also rights itself and the helmet keeps my head afloat.

So check your state for the answer and then think about it thoroughly before you decide what to wear. I'm leaning twords moving to a kayak/whitewater type vest next time I buy one. My biggest issue is the approved vests go down below my beltline so sitting on the foil they creep up as you ride. I'm thinking one designed with that in mind would work if there isn't too much flotation under my arms that gets in the way.

Jllogan wrote: I feel like my barefuit suit give me alot of floatation maybe not as much as a life jacket but lets just say I have done a scorpion deep into the water and got the wind knocked out of me and I floated back up.

buahaha classic! Join the club!

Wisconsin says you have to have one in the boat, but the local ordinance requires you to wear it. Most of the molded vests won't float you w/o air.

Your body composition has a lot to do with your buoyancy as well. I float in a 7mm diving suit.

[QUOTE=harddock] You can jump on me and correct but at one time the requirement was to not turn a wearer face down in the water. [QUOTE]

That is true for a "life jacket" as they fall under "Type 1" but ski vests are "Type 3"
http://www.pfdma.org/choosing/types.aspx

Not sure though if DNR or other "lake police" technically should require a "Type 1" for every occupant in the boat, but I would imagine that it would be a good idea in larger bodies of water where a rescue could take hours or days.

I often use a Non-CGA vest, but like I said, I have tested it and feel comfortable that it would float me- there are other Non-CGA vests that I would not use (Like the JetPilot A10) because it is not "Tom Approved" because it has virtually no floatation...and the fact that it is made for Jet Skiers makes me totally hate it!