Winter project! Re-arming my inflatable life jacket

[Dug]

Did a quick winter project today. When I woke this morning it was -8 outside so I figured I would need a good solid project to occupy me for at least an hour.

I changed the inflator valve which expired in my jacket in 2012. I was really happy to find that it only took me about 10 minutes tops, and its good until 2021 now.

Worthwhile for sure! I have a Mustang Survival inflatable. Well worth being safe!

Check the dates on yours if you have one. They do expire.

My PSA for the day!

D

[Yannis]

Dug,

A good friend sold his sailboat and handed over to me all his inflatable personal lifesavers, 5 or 6 of them.
I put them in a bag and stowed them away in the flying bridge's locker.
This summer, as I was rinsing out the deck and bridge I heard a strange noise, as if something has exploded, a bang-whoosh kind of noise...
Turns out one of the lifevests got humid and detonated. I took them all out and saw that they had all expired from 2003 and 2004 !! But were still working!!
As all these self inflating vests are NOT coast guard approved in Greece ( for some reason only the bulky foamy ones are) nobody has cared to check on their expiry dates.
I changed the gas tube and sensor on that used one, plus on another one, I left the rest as they are. I still carry about 10 more foamy ones spread around the boat to be legal and safe. Anyway, even these inflatable ones can be inflated by blowing into the nozzle in case the auto device is blown or expired or both.

[El Dorado]

We manually inflate ours every year. I’ve had the valves on the manual inflate tube fail and the seams where the bladder is folded dry rot. Let it sit overnight to make sure you don’t have a slow leak, inspect the CO2 cartridge and replace the dissolving tablet before you repack it.

[ranjr13]

You guys are all overkill. Lifejackets? PFDs? I found a much easier way. I tether my dog to me, so if there's a problem, he's there - he can be uncomfortable all day, or even night with his strobe, while I run about in a tee shirt and shorts....

[SteveM]

Good reminder. I have never tested, nor checked the dates on mine.

[Tony Meola]

You guys are all overkill. Lifejackets? PFDs? I found a much easier way. I tether my dog to me, so if there's a problem, he's there - he can be uncomfortable all day, or even night with his strobe, while I run about in a tee shirt and shorts....

Bob

That is fine until he decides if it is you or him and he decides it's him