It came while I was working up in the North of Canada, the new Vector PFD from Northwest River Supply(NRS). The first place I took it out was a fun rafting trip down the Puntledge, at summer flows it is quite low and there are about 250-500 people a day tubing the river. My Nieces and Nephew were keen so we rafted down to different beaches and swam heaps. Wore the Vector PFD for a few hours, and found it very comfy, fit all my rescue gear in a smaller package, and it didn’t ride up when swimming.
Just for your reference, I am 6’2″ tall and weigh about 195 lbs, although the weight can vary depending on the day!
Shortly after that, it was off to the Clearwater. This allowed me to try it out over 5 days, and paddle about 82km in it.
- The PFD is comfy and easy to adjust.
- I picked up an MD/Large and that keeps the straps not too long and gives me enough adjustment for paddling into the fall/winter.
- The Front pocket has some good pockets, gone is the zippered pouch on the inside however it held my carabiners(3), Prussicks(2), Dynmena webbing, a knife, sunscreen, earplugs, and snacks.
The next part of the vest I liked was the Orbit-fit system TM – Our innovative Orbit Fit System enhances overall comfort, increases range of motion, and eliminates the desire to over-tighten. Continuous, interconnected webbing creates an internal harness for maximum security in live bait scenarios and when grabbing users by shoulder straps.
This brings me to the metal buckles and strap material which add a lot and make it easy to adjust (tighten/loosen) the PFD.
The easy-to-release attachment points and interconnected webbing are a nice touch.
The new placement for the attachment of a knife is handy and keeps a nice slim profile.
The ring attachment point on the back of the PFD is nice and clean. The new pockets are nicely tucked in compared to the ZEN pfd. I carried 2 pulleys, a carabiner, and Webbing and it stayed nice and tucked away.
I also like how the straps can be tucked away as can my whistle, which keeps the whole PFD looking nice and clean. Look forward to using this with teaching SRT classes with Raven Rescue and lots of paddling adventures over the fall and winter this year.
See you on the River #whitewaterismagical
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