Gentlemen.....Please give me your two cents on the best manual/inflatable life vest.....I want to begin wearing one when I fish, a comfortable one. Your thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated...Thanks!

BPS Sospedenders

Great. Nice and comfortable. Always keep a conventional on the boat in addition to it.

I have the Mustang MD 3087 BC. Its good. So far after 5 years i have put two kits in it. If I get another it will be the HIT version.

The hotly debated issue is if you have to wear it all the time for it to be legal. It depends on which one you have. The Reg basically says you have to use it per the Manufacturer's recommendation. On some that are Type II you don't have to wear it on non-commercial vessels. Even Law Enforcement doesn't get this right so its also best to have one on the boat that everyone agrees does not need to be worn.

Heres the info from Mustang. Commercial vs non-Commercial is where the confusion starts:

APPROVAL CONDITIONS AND CARRIAGE REQUIREMENTS
Recreational - This Inflatable PFD is approved by the U.S. Coast Guard
(USCG) for use as a Type III (Model MD3085), Type II (Model MD3087)
Personal Flotation Device (PFD). They are not approved for water skiing
or other high impact, high-speed activities.
This Inflatable PFD was designed to be more comfortable and less
restrictive to wear than inherently buoyant PFDs. When worn, used, and
serviced according to this owner�s manual, this Inflatable PFD can greatly
increase your chances of survival in the water. Not recommended for
non-swimmers or weak swimmers. Users of inflatable PFDs must be at
least 16 years old.
Commercial - Models MD3085 and MD3087 are U.S. Coast Guard
approved Type V inflatable PFDs, approved ONLY WHEN WORN for use on
uninspected commercial vessels less than 40 feet in length not carrying
passengers for hire as a substitute for a Type III PFD (MD3085), Type II
PFD (MD3087) when used in accordance with this owner�s manual.
Conditions for Type V Approval in commercial applications:
1. The Inflatable PFD must be worn before getting underway and
whenever above deck and not within an enclosed space to meet the
carriage requirement.
2. The operator of an uninspected commercial vessel is responsible for
servicing and maintaining the Inflatable PFD in good serviceable
condition in accordance with this owner�s manual. See Care and
Maintenance Instructions (p. 14) for servicing information.
3. The operator of an uninspected commercial vessel is responsible for
providing each person onboard with the safety information required
for use of the Inflatable PFD. See page 1 for information.
NOTE TO UNINSPECTED COMMERCIAL VESSEL
OPERATORS
The operator of the vessel is required to provide the following user
information to each person on board.
Inflatable PFDs will not provide any buoyancy without being inflated.
Follow these instructions to be sure your PFD is armed and donned
1 Inflatable

Mustang. They go off by the amount of water pressure applied. Not a tablet dissolving that could go off in high moisture conditions.
I have the HIT� Inflatable PFD Model #: MD3183 in Carbon.

get one with 35# buoyancy, this will keep your head up better if you are unconscious.

cabelas, bass pro, mustang are all good. I wear a cabelas.

get an auto/manual and buy some recharges for it, I carry 2 on the boat with me, should you happen to fall in first thing in the am and can still fish you will want to re arm it.

I have a mustang HIT , a bass pro brand and cabelas brand for my self and others...You are right all of them are comfortable to wear, although I think the mustang is the best fit for me and the one I prefer and it is easier to maintain compared with the other two.

They absolutely wont work, auto or manual, if you dont wear them. I see the pros shuck theirs when they get on their spot to fish,I never understood why they did this. I put my on when I launch the boat and usually never notice it is on again until I leave the lake and I am driving off. They are so comfortable you dont notice them.

I wish the pros would leave theirs on, I know it is only required when underway, but them shucking them gives people the impression they are restrictive and uncomfortable.

I havent yet in 50 years of fishing come close to being thrown out of a boat underway but I have almost gone in the lake on several occasions when just fishing.. I know both can happen so I wear one always. I dont think you will be disappointed with any that you puchase..

Thanks so much!

Thanks so much!

So these are not recommended for weak swimmers. I was thinking about buying two of them, for my wife and myself.

I was planning on buying the auto version so if she fall from the deck it would activate when she hit the water.

But she has Parkinson now so if they are not recommended for weak swimmers this would not work as she would be a weak swimmer now.

This is a shame, as they look much more comfortable to wear.

I'm missing it I guess if these PFDs are not recommended for weak swimmers or non swimmers if you are unconscious then how would these be effective?

I have been told on 2 occasions by different Game Wardens that if you remove these while fishing you must have a regular life vest in reach or you are in violation, if other vest not in reach these must be worn at all times.

I think I will stick with the old fashion jacket I'm not an Olympic swimmer so the inflatable ones aren't for me

YEP!

Some GW know better, but the older guys seem to go by old rules and not the label inside the jacket.

Like the other post said I never been tossed out of the boat but I have fell in a few times. I put mine on when I launch and kept it on until boat is back on trailer. I am 67 and fish alone most of the time. Iam so used to it that I forget it's on even in the hot summer time. I use my kill switch all the time also.