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Best windsurfing PFD ever
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johnson_brian_j



Joined: 09 Jul 2007
Posts: 163
Location: Ventura County, California

PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 3:07 pm    Post subject: Best windsurfing PFD ever Reply with quote

I recently ordered an NRS Clearwater PFD for windsurfing. It arrived today, and I just tried it on with my harness. It is awesome! Absolutely zero interference with the harness, in both the front and the back. Much better than windsurfing-specific PFD's that I've tried on. And the close-fitting webbing in the back allows the vest to be cinched up so that it looks and feels like it won't ride up, but it is still comfortable. Also unlike the windsurfing vests, the NRS Clearwater is Coast Guard approved.

I'll post a follow-up after I've tried it in the water. Given the wind conditions here on the East Coast, unfortunately, it may be a while.
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dllee



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 5328
Location: East Bay

PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 9:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My old HiTec had 8 removable pockets for water bag weights, 2 extra pockets for keys and radio, extra line and the whot, cost 88 dollars, had reflective back and top of shoulders, last 4 years, and had the belly area tapered to accomodate waist harnesses if needed.
I left it on Oahu, for the slalom sailors there to use.
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windydoug



Joined: 22 Jun 2005
Posts: 67
Location: Western NY

PostPosted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 10:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My vote is for the Neil Pryde Windsurfing Vest, or whatever it maybe named now. Yeah, I know it is not a Coast Guard certified PFD so that may disqualify it. It is beefy, comes in a red for visibility and fits well. Has a decent sized pocket for emergency line etc...
I owned the Prolimit flotation vest before that , and a regular PFD (previous to that) even longer ago. A friend has a vest from Promotion that looks really nice as well. They may list it as an impact vest. The Promotion vest has a velcro wrap that goes underneath a waist harness to keep it in place. Seems to work well.
In all my experience the floatation vests have ample float when combined with a waist harness. Not sure that it is save my life floatation though.
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GarryW



Joined: 11 Mar 2001
Posts: 170

PostPosted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 2:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm not sure I want a Coast Guard certified PFD. Diving out from under a sail could be difficult. I too am a fan of the Neil Pryde vest.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 3:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I assume PFDs are required where Brian sails. That's why I hadn't brought up my favorite vest ... again.
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Bluejaytoo



Joined: 21 Apr 2012
Posts: 32

PostPosted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 11:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here in Pennsylvania, PFDs are required; I have the ticket to prove it. And I was wearing one, but it wasn't CG approved. They actually pulled me over on the water and made me take it off so they could check the tags.

That NRS Clearwater looks a lot like my Astral Norge:
http://www.astralbuoyancy.com/products/men/norge/index.html

I haven't tried it with a waist harness, but it barely clears my seat harness.
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spennie



Joined: 13 Oct 1995
Posts: 975
Location: Thousand Oaks, CA

PostPosted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 2:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

OMG, really? They pulled you over and checked the tags? Really?

Y'know, Safety Weenies protecting us from ourselves is one thing, that just smacks of harrassment. Is there a faction where you are that doesn't want windsurfers around? Or is your local Lake Patrol just full of weiners with Napoleonic Complexes?

I'm told that here in California they wanted to keep windsurfers off the upper lake at the San Luis Resevoir, so they started enforcing the same rules as boaters: You not only had to wear an approved PFD, you had to carry a flare and a whistle and some other crap. Again, harrassment plain & simple to get us off "their" lake.

Somebody needs to remind these people that they are public servants, and what that means.

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Spennie the Wind Junkie
www.WindJunkie.net
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 4:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A lady is sitting on her longboard in knee-deep water, using it as a bench to chat with her friends on a hot day. Gendarme demands to see the label on her vest. Not approved. $50 fine. And she's a lawyer.
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johnson_brian_j



Joined: 09 Jul 2007
Posts: 163
Location: Ventura County, California

PostPosted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 6:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I took the new Clearwater PFD windsurfing today, and it was great! It did not ride up at all when I was in the water, it did not interfere with my harness, and it didn't interfere with my movement either in the water or on the board. The only slight negative was that I had to secure the spreader bar to my harness partly by feel, because I could not see down past the front floatation panel of the PFD, but it really wasn't hard. (You have to put on the PFD before you put on your harness because the mesh back of the PFD goes under your harness.) Definitely a great PFD design for windsurfing, in my opinion.
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johnson_brian_j



Joined: 09 Jul 2007
Posts: 163
Location: Ventura County, California

PostPosted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 6:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bluejaytoo wrote:
Here in Pennsylvania, PFDs are required; I have the ticket to prove it. And I was wearing one, but it wasn't CG approved. They actually pulled me over on the water and made me take it off so they could check the tags.

Maybe it's something about Pennsylvania. I lived in Philadelphia for a few years, and a friend of mine actually got a ticket for jaywalking there.
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