Life jackets of the popular 150 Newton class work well, as the test in YACHT 18/2019 showed. However, they have one flaw: as soon as a sailor passes out and wears oilskins, he is no longer reliably turned into a supine position. 275 Newton-class models have about twice as much buoyancy and promise to solve the problem.
This is how the vests cut off in detail.
Every sailor who wears oilskins should think about a vest in maxi size. Because as soon as the clothing is permanently waterproof, there is also the risk that the air trapped in the jacket and trousers cannot escape or at least cannot escape quickly. The tricky thing about it is the additional buoyancy. Although this is distributed over the entire body; however, blisters form in the shoulder, back and buttocks area.
This is how the vests cut off in detail.
Especially with loose clothing, these swim rings have a similar volume or even more volume than life jackets of the 150 Newton class. The sailor basically wears a second vest on his back. Security against fainting is only guaranteed if the life jacket can work against the air cushion and a person who is motionless, face down in the water, turns into the supine position, without any support from the rough sea.
This is how the vests cut off in detail.
Accordingly, we carried out the comparison in oilskin and sailing shoes. And this is how the different models perform:
Marinepool 300 N Pro 3 D ISO
Three stars for the marine pool vest.
Adjustable chest strap, metal buckles on both sides, wide back, self-stowing strap ends. The vest sits well on the shoulders, the strap can be easily loosened. But: the bladder is crooked, the cartridge side turned inwards. The head stays under water. Only a courageous grip from the outside can correct the bladder. Spray cap keeps slipping off.
Besto Automatic Pro 300 N
The float presses on the cheekbones.
Adjustable chest strap with plastic buckle. Lightweight vest that is easy to wear. However, the belt is difficult to use adjust. Short float, head remains under water, presses on cheekbones. Lift belt is very small
CaliforniTitanium 275 ISO
The SOSTechnic CaliforniTitanium.
Adjustable chest strap, metal buckles on both sides, wide back, self-stowing strap ends. The vest sits well on the shoulders. The belt can be easily loosened. However, the bladder is twisted on the cartridge side. After the correction, the lift is in a good position.
Spinlock Deckvest 5D
The test winner: The Spinlock Deckvest 5D.
Adjustable chest strap with small, very handy metal double buckle on both sides and opening aid, the back part is adjustable. Very comfortable to wear, the strap is very easy to adjust. The buoyancy is a bit high, presses slightly into the mouth with corners, but can be corrected and then sits well. The Spinlock Deckvest 5D is the test winner! >> e.g. available here *.
Crewsaver Ergofit 290 N Extreme
Don't worry, it's still spinning: The Crewsaver Ergofit.
Adjustable, heavily padded chest strap. Metal double buckles attached to the back with opening aid. Very comfortable to wear. Easily adjustable strap. The very long float generates a lot of torque. Comparatively comfortable position, good spray cap with underwire. >> e.g. available here *.
Hurricane EVO 290
The Hurrican EVO 290.
Adjustable chest strap with one-sided metal double buckle without opening aid. Comfortable harness, easy to adjust. But: the head stays in the water, the buoyancy presses heavily on the ear, it feels as if it is sliding upwards. There is a wave channel, the spray cap does not close the channel. The status of the tablet cannot be seen through the small window.
Kadematic 275 AL-F
The Kadematic vest has a slightly neck-heavy cut.
Adjustable chest strap with plastic buckle. Conventional, slightly neck-heavy cut. The belt can be adjusted usefully. The buoyancy slides far up, the mouth lies in the water before turning.
KRU Sport Pro 275 ADV
With the KRU Sport the head sinks in the buoyancy, but stays up.
Adjustable wide chest strap, metal buckles on both sides with opening aid on the back. Comfortable harness, closure a bit complicated. It is easy to adjust for this. The buoyancy slides up a bit, but sits well. The lamp is attached far below and is covered by the spray cap. The head sinks into the buoyancy, but remains safe from fainting. Despite the bracket, the spray cap does not sit very high.
Baltic Legend 305
Very good swimming position on the Baltic Legend.
Adjustable chest strap with plastic buckle, wide back. Very long-cut vest that sits well on the shoulders. The belt adjustment is acceptable. Very long float, sits well, very good swimming position.
Plastimo Pilot 290A
The price-performance winner is the Plastimo Pilot.
Adjustable chest strap, one-sided large metal double buckle with opening aid. Relatively conventional cut, the weight is on the shoulders. Good belt adjustment. The float fits well, the spray cap is very easy to put on and closes well. The Plastimo Pilot 290 is the clear price-performance winner!
Compass Profi Soft ISO 300 N
Four stars for the Compass Profi Soft.
Adjustable chest strap with plastic buckle, narrow back strap. Relatively conventional cut, a bit neck-heavy. Difficult belt adjustment. The head is over water all the time, the rotation is initiated. The cover does not open completely, the vest does not turn in subsequent attempts. No display for the cartridge.
Compass life jacket 300 N
Functional spray cap on the Compass 300 N from Seago.
Adjustable chest strap with metal double buckle on both sides without opening aid, fixed back. Comfortable harness. Closure is very small, but good adjustment. The sides of the float interlock and close very well, no shaft tunnel. Very simple but functional spray cap. >> e.g. available here *.
Secumar Scout
Good weight distribution with the Secumar Scout.
Adjustable chest strap. One-sided metal double buckle with opening aid, fixed back. Good weight distribution and good wearing comfort. Easily adjustable. Sits comfortably, turns very quickly. The spray cap is easy to put on and offers a lot of space. Most expensive vest in the test. >> e.g. available here *.
AWN Security L 275 N
Slides up, but does not choke much: The AWN Security buoyancy chamber.
Adjustable chest strap with plastic buckle. Relatively conventional cut, a bit neck-heavy. Difficult belt adjustment. The buoyancy bubble slides up a bit, but doesn't choke very badly. The machine shows that the cartridge is correctly seated, the fill level is not recorded.
SVB X-Advanced 300
Three stars for the SVB X-Advanced from Seatec.
Adjustable chest strap, metal buckles on both sides, wide back, self-stowing strap ends. The vest sits well on the shoulders and the belt can be easily loosened. The buoyancy is twisted on the cartridge side.
The detailed test with all evaluation criteria and test conditions can be found in the PDF download.
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