Inflatable Life Vest ?

Anybody wear an inflatable life vest while fishing? Like most people that I see on the water, I haven't put a life jacket on in over 50 years. They are too bulky and hot, but now that I have a titanium shoulder, I am pretty sure my swimming ability will not be what it once was. I hear "Auto Inflate" life jackets inflate by themselves in hot weather or while in a hot storage compartment. "Manual Inflate" units solve that problem but if I am going to spend the bucks and I am wearing it for "Safety" I feel I should get one with all available "Safety" features. Anybody using either of these ? Can anyone recommend a good one? Mike

I have a self inflatable vest ant I love it. (Only wear it when the water is rough). I've had it for 4 years and spent $130 at gander. One advantage is that they are pretty compact for storage. Good luck

I have the Cabelas tournament 3500 auto model. I wear it when water temps are below 60 or having a rough day on Winnebago. I'm still a strong swimmer and once winds turns bad it goes on. If you watch for sales they can be had for $70 instead of $140. You will need to replace the CO2 canister called a (rearming kit)$25 every time it's deployed or every few years if not used. There is a gauge that shows when to replace, like a fire extinguisher. Remember that for it to be considered a PDF in your boat it must be worn with all buckles attached. Keeping it in a compartment or over a seat does not count as 1 of the PDF's in your boat. I have 3 standard vests over all seats, throw-able under the driver console at the ready, but find the inflatable worth the comfort especially if you actually wear it all the time. Oh yeah, from experience! Tuck the manual pull cord inside the vest on the auto models so you don't accidentally catch it on something and POOF, it deploys and your not in the water. $25 to rearm and it will scare the s@@t out of you. LOL