CREWSAVER CREWFIT 180 PRO

The smaller of Crewsaver’s two lifejackets on test, the Crewfit 180 Pro can be bought with or without a hood or light. It copies some of the innovations of the Ergofit+ but in a more compact casing, which makes it easy to stow and unobtrusive to wear, if more basic.

IN USE

The casing is less contoured but more flexible than larger lifejackets, and it still has an inspection window. Adjustment of the chest strap is by two forward-pull buckles at the rear, which are easy to tighten, but less easy to slacken off, with a single crotch strap, and a standard metal frame buckle at the front. Repacking was aided by printed instructions sewn inside the casing.

IN THE WATER

The Crewfit came at the lower end of the performance figures across the tests, reflecting the fact that this is a smaller bladder than others on test, except for the freeboard test on Theo, where it scored second highest. Having said this, the bladder shares the design concept of the Ergofit+, bringing the buoyancy to a point to assist with rotation. The interlocking bladders are designed to prevent wave funnelling and to support your airway.

The hood was easy to locate and pull over with two elastic straps. A neat hole allowed the light to shine outside the hood and a black fabric panel stopped the wearer being blinded by this, and an opening panel on the visor made hearing easier. It also had a good number of retroflective strips to help with location at night, though the lifting becket wasn’t the easiest to find in the water.

The red pull tags help with loosening the chest strap buckles at the rear of the harness Once inflated the hood was easy to deploy, though the contrast to the more advanced Ergofit+ was evident The cover is well contoured with a minimum of extra bulk

Small and unobtrusive, the Crewfit is one of Crewsaver’s oldest ranges