TexomaPowerboater

Its so funny to hear people talk about lifeline jackets. Like your all the sudden a cheap azz non-safe boater if you don't buy one.

OldSchool

I don't think that it's funny....it's ridiculous! People need to get off of that soapbox. Not everyone runs WOT all of time in race conditions.

Chris Sunkin

You can truly only appreciate a Lifeline once you've had the chance to use one.

First, most of these jackets will only keep an "average" man's head above water in calm conditions. Average being 165 lbs. I'm 225 so that means I'm experiencing "assisted treading water". Tough to do if you aren't awake after your 80mph exit. Second, a $40 life jacket most likely won't stay on you if you leave the boat at speed. Another thing that's tough to do when you're snoozing.

Jackets are like boat insurance. It sucks sending that check, until you need them to bail your a$$ out.

RunninHotRacing163.1

DITTO

CigDaze

I hear ya. Not everyone wants or need to have the absolute best-of-the-best in everything they do, in every facet of their lives. This tends to be an pandemic here sometimes, you get sht on, if you don't have the top of the line in everything.

I water-skied for many years and I've taken quite a few 60+mph spills and tumbles in those overton's jackets. They work quite well.

If you're racing at 100+mph in an open boat, than ya, I can see the necessity for lifelines.

And that's the other thing. You can spend $2000 on lifelines for your entire crew, and you can't even pass a CG inspection.
Do racers, in addition to their lifelines, have to carry a couple of those orange block CG jackets on board in the event of inspection?

Chris Sunkin

The original question was poker run specific. If the poster was asking for jacket suggestions for casual operation, I think the responses would have been different. Poker runs now have plenty of boats running fater than most sanctioned offshore races. Also the comments about the gas-vests being phased out I thoiught was particularly helpful.