Inflatable PFDs have completely revolutionized safety on the water, while still allowing anglers to be as comfortable as possible. Instead of the foam blocks used in traditional PFDs, this type of Personal Flotation Device uses CO2 cartridges to inflate internal chambers that keep you afloat.
This innovative technology allows the angler to fish comfortably without being encumbered by a bulky foam PFD. This encourages far more anglers to wear their PFDs while fishing or operating their outboards, which makes the sport of bass fishing much, much safer as a whole.
What happens when your inflatable PFD is set off? Well, it will need recharging. That’s what we’re here to talk through today.
HOW INFLATABLE PFD’S WORK
Most inflatable PFDs are labeled A/M, which indicates the life vest has both automatic and manual functions. There are a couple of different triggers for automatic vests. The most common involves a water-soluble bobbin that dissolves when it contacts water and releases a pin that punctures the CO2 cartridge to discharge the gas and inflate the vest. This happens within a couple seconds of the vest being submerged.
The other method involves hydrostatic pressure, which uses the force of water to activate the mechanism and fill the vest. These have the advantage of only going off if the wearer ends up in the water, Not if they get hit with a wave or caught in a downpour. If the automatic function fails for whatever reason, a red handle on the vest can be pulled to manually inflate the vest.
HOW TO RECHARGE AN INFLATABLE PFD
Once an inflatable PFD has been discharged, it must be deflated, recharged and repacked before it can be used again. You’ll need to verify the CO2 cartridge required for your exact PFD. Almost all PFDs—like the Magellan Outdoors Inflatable PFD Life Jacket seen here—use a 24-gram CO2 cylinder with a ½-inch thread. The Onyx Outdoor Automatic/Manual CO2 Rearming Kit is a great example of what will work with most inflatable PFDs.
STEP 1:
You’ll need to deflate your life vest before rearming it. Do so by taking the cap off the red tube on the chest of the life vest, then flip the cap and use it to press down on the spring loaded plug in the tube. This will let air out of the vest.
STEP 2:
Unscrew the spent CO2 Cartridge from the black housing and discard it.
STEP 3:
Unscrew the clear cap from the other end of the black housing. Remove the spent water-soluble bobbin (yellow) and make sure the housing is clear of any debris left from the old bobbin.
STEP 4:
Take the new bobbin and set it on the black tip of the mechanism, with the white side of the bobbin down. Note that the bobbin won’t slide down onto the black tip, it will just sit on top of it.
STEP 5:
Line up the grooves in the bobbin with the grooves inside of the black housing and slip it in. As you screw the clear cap back on, you’ll feel a little tension and be able to see the indicator go from red to green in the cap.
STEP 6:
Screw in the new CO2 cartridge. If the manual mechanism was used, you’ll need to replace the green clip that comes with the rearming kit.
STEP 7:
Now repack the life vest by folding along the dotted lines, using the velcro lining to close it up. That’s it, you’re all finished.
IN CONCLUSION
Recharging and repacking an inflatable PFD can seem a little intimidating at first. After all, doing this correctly or incorrectly could mean life or death. This tutorial is merely meant to be a basic guide to help you get started. Be sure to follow the instructions provided with your specific vest if you need to recharge yours. The process, however, should be simple and seamless.
See our full review on the Magellan Outdoors Inflatable PFD Life Jacket for more information on this inflatable PFD.
