Best Fishing Life Vest

Everyone who heads out to sea or gets in a boat needs to wear a life vest. The initial thought when someone mentions a life vest is that it helps people float when in water. For those people that don’t know how to swim, they shouldn’t even think about heading out to waters without one.

The fact that other people know how to swim doesn’t take away from the importance of wearing a life vest. Apart from helping people float, life vests have many more benefits that make it an absolute necessity to have one.

Whether people are traveling to another island, just enjoying the sea breeze and feel of the water, or just fishing, having a life vest on should be a requirement before heading out. In addition, fishing life vests have pockets and places where other pieces of equipment can be kept.

Just like every other item in the market, different manufacturers create different life vests with their own pros and cons. We’re here to talk about several of the best fishing life vests that you should consider and purchase.

Why is it Important to Wear a Life Vest?

The importance of floating in waters and not being dragged down to its drowning depths is the obvious benefit for a life vest. At least 90% of all boat-related drownings are prevented with the use of one.

However, it may surprise many people to learn that life vests have many other possible benefits.

Keeping Warm and Conserving Body Heat

Life vests can help keep people warm when they are in the water. If an accident occurs, the life vest initially helps prevent the shock of cold water from hitting the muscles. Without it, hypothermia may set in quickly.

Furthering this scenario, when adrift at sea waiting for help, a person wearing a life vest and employing the Heat Escape Lessening Position (HELP) – a position much like the fetal position – increases survival time by a staggering 50%.

It may be the deciding factor for survival when waiting for help out at sea.

Facing Up to the Air

There are some occurrences when boats are capsized and people are thrown into the water. In some cases, the people end up face down in water, with people unsure of which direction they are heading.

Fortunately, there are some life vests available that are designed to have people face upwards when they are in the water.

Creating a Culture of Safety

Taking the initiative and being willing to wear a life vest is a choice that affects others who are on the boat. If one person understands the importance of wearing a life vest and insists upon it, it ensures that everyone else wears one too.

This creates a culture of safety where people are mindful of the dangers of the water, and are ready if anything happens.

With these benefits conveyed, let’s now take a look at several of the best fishing life vests in the market right now. We’ll look at several of our top picks and discuss a few more for you.

Best Fishing Life Vests

NRS Chinook Fishing PFD

The first life vest we’ll go through on our list is the NRS Chinook Fishing PFD. For fishermen, this is one of the best life vests due to its equipment-inclusive design.

On the initial view of the NRS Chinook Fishing PFD, people might directly associate it with their mental image of what a fisherman is wearing. Its design does look like a vest with many pockets.

It is these pockets that make it very ideal for fishermen. There are multiple pockets, with each of them varying in size and placement. Fishermen can arrange and organize various pieces of their equipment to have it wherever they need them and best of all, within reach.

It also contains several D-ring attachment points for more storage areas, a couple of rod holder loops to help secure fishing rods, and a strobe holder loop which comes in handy when darkness sets in.

Furthermore, the value of this vest is increased due to the fact that it also doubles as a life preserver if fishermen fall into the water. The combination of the various storage areas and the safety it provides makes it one of the best fishing life vests out in the market today.

Several reviewers have indicated the additional storage space as the vest’s prime quality. Others have said that they forgot they were even wearing it, which is a big plus as it doesn’t get in the way of fishing.

Pros

• Wearing this life vest is easy as it has a full frontal zipper.
• Multiple pockets act as additional storage places for the necessary equipment of fishermen.
• The arm holes are large and generous, making sure it doesn’t get in the way when fishing.

Cons

• Has some discomfort in the torso as it rides up that area during flotation.

Onyx M-16 Belt Pack Manual Inflatable Life Jacket

When it comes to versatility and uniqueness, the Onyx M-16 Belt Pack Manual Inflatable Life Jacket certainly takes the cake and eats it too.

If you are a fan of the great big outdoors, then you’ll be familiar with Onyx. The company creates a slew of outdoor products, with life vests being one of them.

As the name suggests, the uniqueness of this life vest comes from the fact that it is actually a belt pack. While it isn’t technically a “vest”, it does do the job of preserving life and helping people float nonetheless.

The main reason why it is on the list is because of the freedom and versatility that it offers. The fact that it is a belt means that fishermen will have the movement of their arms unrestricted and free to do whatever they’ll need to do when catching fish.

It is extremely lightweight and, despite its minimalist approach, is coast guard approved. Within the belt is a CO2 cartridge that provides 17 pounds of buoyancy. Apart from that, there is a tube that can be used to manually inflate the belt that gives 26.5 more pounds of buoyancy.

Moreover, the minimalist design means that on hot days, it won’t add to the heat of the weather.

The only downside from Onyx’s M-16 Belt Pack is that there is a minimum body weight requirement of 80 pounds.

Pros

• Approved by the coast guard.
• Minimalist and unrestrictive design that allows for absolute freedom of movement of arms.
• Buoyancy is 26.5 pounds.

Cons

• Minimum body weight requirement of 80 pounds.

Stearns Adult Classic Series Vest

If you are in the market for a life vest that doesn’t have many frills, or one that just helps with preserving life, then the Stearns Adult Classic Series Vast may be for you.

One of the most notable things about this life vest is the price. It is one of the most affordable life vests in the market today.

Apart from that, it does what a life vest is supposed to do, which is help preserve life by acting as a flotation device in emergency situations.

The design has three straps in the front, which means that it will always stay secure on a person’s body. This simple design means that it fits snugly with adults, children, and teenagers as well.

Bear in mind that this is where the features of the Stearns Adult Classic Series Vest come to an end. There are no extra pockets and loops for the items of fishermen. The design is not as unrestrictive as other life vests in the market.

Again, this is a life vest that is for fishermen who put prime importance on flotation and safety, and who want to purchase affordable life vests.

However, this lack of features has not deterred people from buying and appreciating what this life vest has to offer. Many people still swear by it.

Pros

• Approved by the coast guard.
• One of the most affordable life vests in the market.
• Does what it needs to: helps people stay afloat.

Cons

• No extra features. Sports a basic design and basic functionalities.

Stearns Boating Stole with Realtree Max-4

If the classic life vest that Stearns is offering doesn’t quite tickle your fancy, then Stearns comes back with the Boating Stole with Realtree Max-4.

Looking at this life vest, it may seem like it is nothing special. However, it certainly adds more than the Classic Series Vest.

The first thing to mention about this life vest is the quality. It is absolutely top notch.

Like the other Stearns vests, this one is also approved by the coast guard. It was designed to sit over a person’s shoulder – with an open back fit – which means that people’s arms are free to move around when fishing. It also means that it is a comfortable wear when people are on a boat or out at sea.

This life vest has an automatic inflation feature. If a person hits the water, the life vest begins to inflate automatically. Apart from that, there is also a manual inflation feature that can be triggered by pulling a cord at the bottom part of the vest.

Moreover, the color design of reflective orange gives extra visibility to people who wear it. It also weighs just shy of 2 pounds. Couple this with this over the shoulder open back design and it won’t feel like you are wearing a vest at all. It also doesn’t add to the heat that you may be feeling out in the open waters.

The buoyancy of the Stearns Boating Stole with Realtree Max-4 comes in at 22.5 pounds.

Pros

• Approved by the coast guard.
• Inflates automatically when wearers hit the water.
• Great freeing over-the-shoulder and open back design for free arm movements.

Cons

• Price is higher than most of the life vests in the market.

Mustang Survival Corp M.I.T. 100 Auto Activation PFD

The last vest on our list is the Mustang Survival Corp M.I.T. 100 Auto Activation PFD. This specific life vest is best used for fishermen who go out in harsh weather conditions or in far way locations. It is a great life vest that ensures safety and long uses.

This life vest’s outer shell is made with 500-denier cordura. This allows the wearer to get more years of mileage out of this life vest than many others.

The coast guard has approved this specific life vest for both type III personal and type V commercial uses.

In terms of features, it has an automatic inflate feature that sets off when a person is submerged for 10 seconds in water. A pull of a yellow tab on the vest will also allow for users to manually inflate it. Full inflation just takes five seconds.

In terms of buoyancy, Mustang’s Survival Corp M.I.T. 100 Auto Activation PFD offers 1.5 times more buoyancy than any other life vest in the market. It is a great heavy duty and dependable life vest for fishermen.

Pros

• Made with 500-denier cordura.
  Can be used for years.
• Automatic / Manual inflation with 1.5 times more buoyancy than other life vests.

Cons

• Price is higher than most of the life vests in the market.

Care for (Life) Vested Interests

Life vests are such an important and essential part for anyone who goes out on open waters and on a boat. For fishermen, depending on the model of the life vest, it can help secure and organize equipment, keep people warm, and most importantly, act as a life preserver and save lives.

Whether any of the items in the best fishing life vests list have interested you or not, the fact remains that everyone who steps on a boat and out on open waters needs to wear one.