REAL-WORLD SCENARIOS
ISO standards are based on the scenario of a free-floating casualty in the water. We are all, however, sensibly encouraged to clip on with safety tethers so that we remain attached to the boat. This avoids difficult attempts to find a MOB, but it does mean you could be dragged along by your tether, even if just drifting. We tested this scenario with the two lifejackets that have made changes to their harness attachments – Teamo’s unique ‘back tow’ system and Spinlock’s new ‘harness release system’. Our volunteer found that having ‘fallen in’ while the yacht was stationary, by the time the boat was drifting at 2 knots, it became difficult to keep her head clear of the water when attached by the conventional front harness attachment point. With the Teamo lifejacket a sharp pull on the back tow handle released the mechanism holding this in place and the attachment point then extended to the top of an A-shaped bridle attached to the top of the shoulders under the lifejacket bladder. She was spun onto her back in a couple of seconds and found she could breathe easily and was comfortable while those on deck stopped the boat. The Spinlock Vito addresses the same problem with a different harness release system. Under the front of the lifejacket harness is a metal handle. Once located, a sharp tug released the attachment point entirely and the casualty became a freefloating man overboard. This solves the immediate risk of drowning, but it does create a search and rescue scenario, and deciding to pull the handle and take your chances is a drastic decision to have to make. The Teamo solution seemed the more sensible to us, particularly for cruising sailors. Our ‘casualty’ found the experience extremely sobering and afterwards questioned whether she would want to be attached with a tether at all when wearing a lifejacket with a conventional harness. We are surprised that only two brands see this as a problem to address, and would hope that others follow suit soon.
CONCLUSION
There have been improvements in all aspects of lifejacket design, but buoyancy is one of the most important. The Crewsaver Ergofit+ 190 was the clear winner in this department and was test winner for this reason. Its highly engineered bladder was a long way ahead of other makes for both rotation times and freeboard heights, providing a clear benefit to a casualty in the water. The Spinlock Vito and the diminutive Kru 170 Adv weren’t far behind on the rotation test, though the gas canister digging into the collarbone on the Kru seemed a major flaw. The Crewsaver Ergofit+ hood also represented a significant step forwards, and did much to improve the wearer’s comfort and awareness around them. Spinlock leads the way in comfort, and wins our recommendataion for the Deckvest 5D, with Crewsaver close behind. Teamo was also well contoured, and our testers liked some of the more flexible lifejackets. Spinlock’s fittings are also a step ahead, including the pylon and Lume-on lights, as well as separate cargo pouches and emergency line cutters. Several makes have also added pockets for MOB beacons. When it came to repacking, the Baltic lifejackets were the most helpful, with clear ‘fold here’ instructions printed on each part of the bladder. This test revealed that the current innovations in harness release systems, bladder shape and sprayhood funtionality are limited to just one or two brands, and each focuses on just one area. We hope a lifejacket with all three of these great features will be available soon. With thanks to the RNLI for the use of their pool for this test.