Life jacket for Cox'n's

[Ben Thompson]

Howdy all, what life jackets do people use whilst out hooning around in their ribs? Time has come when I really should get one, and wondering if there's any preferences (or annoyances, such as drysuit valves getting stuck)

For reference, was looking at something like the Crewsaver Freedom Hammer (http://www.crewsaver.co.uk/crewsaver/webpages/aironly.htm) (bottom left of that page)

Cheers!

Ben

[David Walker]

We don't bother in either of the clubs i'm in - we're always all in zipped-up drysuits when we're moving anyway to avoid getting soaked, and that'll easily keep you afloat if you should fall in. There is the possibility of knocking yourself out from the fall and going face-down, but i've never seen that as a problem since a man-overboard response in the RIB can get us back next to whoever fell in within seconds!

David

[Woz]

We use a lifejacket for the Cox'n as for a time they will be alone in the boat while waiting for divers. We have a couple of compact ones- can't remember the make. If you are a Uni club then if you go to the union cap in hand they'll buy them for you.

[Ben Thompson]

If you are a Uni club then if you go to the union cap in hand they'll buy them for you.

I believe plans for that are already afoot, but which one! I also need a personal one anyway, as I've just needed one too many times in the past to not have one :(

[Mike Halligan]

Ben,

There is an option of a fixed buoyancy aid, as in the Crewsaver Seafloat, but that will not be too brilliant in lousy weather if you've not a drysuit as well. In normal diving conditions, it gives real warmth whilst you're lurking about as boat cover. It is cheap, reliable, easily stored and tough as old boots.

On the other hand the air-inflatables are brilliant, so long as no-one leaves them lying on gratings. (The inflate toggles always fall through and then the ham-fisted set them off when snatching up halters left lying around.) They are also expensive to procure and must be maintained. There is a temptation to disarm the water-sensitive firing mechanism, but they're then useless if you're not both conscious and capable when you fall off your boat.

The option of relying on your drysuit alone is not a good one. You will not be turned face upright, the buoyancy is limited and (sp. if membrane) could be damaged (flooded) in a violent entry.

Just a few thoughts, hope this helps,
Mike

[Andy Nye]

We don't bother in either of the clubs i'm in - we're always all in zipped-up drysuits when we're moving anyway to avoid getting soaked, and that'll easily keep you afloat if you should fall in. There is the possibility of knocking yourself out from the fall and going face-down, but i've never seen that as a problem since a man-overboard response in the RIB can get us back next to whoever fell in within seconds!

David


Thats one hell of a statement & dangerous thing to write in my mind, Dave.

Did you ever read the chilling report a few years back now of how a teenager feel overboard and he got air in his boots and couldn't recover and drowned..

[Woz]

Look- here we are actually using it...

http://www.students-union.nottingham.ac.uk/%7Esubaqua/Photos/laline2004/04.jpg

[Andy Botten]

We don't bother in either of the clubs i'm in

I suggest you look at Appendix 1 of the CDA boating guidelines
http://www.bsac.org/techserv/cda_boating_guidelines_04.pdf
It says "coxswains should always wear a life-jacket when operating in that role."
As we as a club operate under these guidelines, so you may come unstuck if you deliberately ignore them.

Ben
I've got a Crewsaver Slimfit 150N
Nice and compact

[David Walker]

Thats one hell of a statement & dangerous thing to write in my mind, Dave.

Not too sure it is to be honest - i've never found it a problem in all the time we've been using RIBs, which may be where the difference lies. In a RIB we can turn around and be back next to someone who fell overboard in a matter of seconds, where as with a larger boat like yours it might take significantly longer than that to get to them and so in some circumstances then obviously the need is greater.

In the end, I still don't think they're that important, its a personal opinion. I wouldn't tell people NOT to wear one if they wanted to, but don't see the need to actively encourage it. Circumstances may dictate differently, such as when someone's on the boat on their own, travelling in very rough sea, etc, but most of these don't apply to a typical club trip - when you're on the boat alone its very rare to be powering off somewhere as you would be waiting on the dive site, and travelling at high speed wherever there's divers in the water isn't really a good idea.


Did you ever read the chilling report a few years back now of how a teenager feel overboard and he got air in his boots and couldn't recover and drowned..

No, and without knowing the full details wouldn't like to comment. If it was from a RIB though i'd be interested to know how long it took to turn the RIB around and get to them, and why they couldn't get him out of the water more quickly.

David

[David Walker]

I suggest you look at Appendix 1 of the CDA boating guidelines
http://www.bsac.org/techserv/cda_boating_guidelines_04.pdf
It says "coxswains should always wear a life-jacket when operating in that role."

Yep i've got no problem with that, anyone is perfectly at liberty to wear one if they want, i'm not going to stop them.

David

[pugwash]

I wear a crewsaver crewfit, air only.

Crewsaver sell a lifejacket that has an automatic inflator - do not buy one of these if you intend to use it in a RIB as it does inflate at the least drop of water.

In Ireland, it is mandatory for passengers to wear lifejackets but I think that the jury is still out as to whether divers in suits have to. Just to play it safe, when I go rib cruising in SW Ireland, I wear a jacket.

[Nigel Hewitt]

Yep i've got no problem with that, anyone is perfectly at liberty to wear one if they want, i'm not going to stop them.I wear one when coxing the RIB even though I wear a dry suit. The moment I am most at risk is when I am just a cox alone and am recovering my first diver. If the swell has got well up since we put them in and I get bounced over the side, head first into somebody's twinset, I must not become a rescue job. I need them in the boat finding the kill strap to take-over the pickup not trying to get me the right way up because the air in my suit has all rushed to my boots.

Wearing a drysuit may be warm but it is not the right sort of buoyancy for a cox.

[Andy Nye]

In a RIB we can turn around and be back next to someone who fell overboard in a matter of seconds,

Even if the Cox has gone overboard with the kill cord still attacthed to his leg ?
So, if you have a spare kill cord and it's in a lovely canister right at the bottom , place tightly in the ' A ' Frame .....

Still take seconds ,,,,,,, don't think so, some how.

For the sake a item that can save your life and others, WEAR a AUTOMATIC lifejacket always when afloat.

where as with a larger boat like yours it might take significantly longer than that to get to them and so in some circumstances then obviously the need is greater.

Dave, I practice lots of MoB 's with my crew and the Lifeboat.......

If i'm single handed . i'm in a lifejacket .
When picking up my first pair of divers, i'm right beside them and i DO NOT lean over the side to help until one of them is half way up the ladder....
Then it's OHODOHOB .........One Hand On Diver One Hand On Boat.

[Brian_C]

QUOTE=pugwash]I wear a crewsaver crewfit, air only.

Crewsaver sell a lifejacket that has an automatic inflator - do not buy one of these if you intend to use it in a RIB as it does inflate at the least drop of water.

In Ireland, it is mandatory for passengers to wear lifejackets but I think that the jury is still out as to whether divers in suits have to. Just to play it safe, when I go rib cruising in SW Ireland, I wear a jacket.[/QUOTE]
Not Strictly accurate. There are two types of water activated jackets. One uses static pressure (hammer type) the other is a tablet which when wet activates the system. This is the one that is unsutable for RIBS.

Brian

[Neil R]

Hi guys ,
All person's that are carried on our club boat must where a life vest from cox down , and the people that are helping launch the boat must where them aswell , just incase they fall in.
Safety First . :)

[Janos]

Hi guys ,
All person's that are carried on our club boat must where a life vest from cox down

I thought they were generally worn on the upper half of the body:confused:

Janos

[Adrian Kelland]

...If i'm single handed . i'm in a lifejacket...
Andy, do you consider yourself single handed when taking out divers? Because I am certain you were not wearing a lifejacket when I was on the boat with you.

Could be poor memory on my part, but I don't think so.

Adrian

[marineboytim]

We had lifejackets imposed by the sports society and student union Sept last year because we are a University dive club.
We opted (because they payed) for self inflating lifejackets.

On our first trip we managed to set a couple off by getting them wet, and on returning from another dive around Thatchers rock, we managed to set around 8 or nine of them off. It wasn't rough either.

The inflation cartrages are not cheap and because some of the spare jackets were in a goodie bag they were extremely difficult to get out once
inflated:mad:

We converted all our jackets to pull inflate now.:)

The life jackets we purchased are not a problem to wear (if you can remember to put the on) sometimes some members need reminding to take them off before donning their kit becuase you honestly dont know youre wearing one!

Heres a tip go for pull inflation ones not automatics, they're a pain in the arse and just not practical on a RIB.;)

Tim Knapp
Equipment officer UWESAC

[posiedon]

the wearing of lifejackets on all vessels under 7m is mandatory in the republic if ireland. special permission was requested for divers to not have to wear them due to drysuits/bcd but this approach was rejected because neither will keep you "face up" in the water. any vessel over this size must by law have a life jacket on board for each person on board. it is actively policed by the coast guard here. failure to follow the regulations could result in the coxn being prosecuted.

[Geordie_cy]

We had lifejackets imposed by the sports society and student union Sept last year because we are a University dive club.
We opted (because they payed) for self inflating lifejackets.

On our first trip we managed to set a couple off by getting them wet, and on returning from another dive around Thatchers rock, we managed to set around 8 or nine of them off. It wasn't rough either.

The inflation cartrages are not cheap and because some of the spare jackets were in a goodie bag they were extremely difficult to get out once
inflated:mad:

We converted all our jackets to pull inflate now.:)

The life jackets we purchased are not a problem to wear (if you can remember to put the on) sometimes some members need reminding to take them off before donning their kit becuase you honestly dont know youre wearing one!

Heres a tip go for pull inflation ones not automatics, they're a pain in the arse and just not practical on a RIB.;)

Tim Knapp
Equipment officer UWESAC


You've used the wrong type of auto-inflater. There's a salt tablet one that goes of as soon as it gets damp, and a Hammar-type which require a certain water pressure to be attained before inflating.