Best Way to Attach PLB to PFD?

[Muckle Flugga]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Do you mean that life jackets must be replaced after one CO2 inflation?

I didn't know that, if that's what you're saying. Good reason not to just try them out.

NO. Of course not. Just that they have gone off, likely from heavy rain if in Scotland or other similar accident, such as being pulled etc., but the CO2 hasn't been replaced and they have been repacked to appear normal.

They can be fired again and again, for sure. I have not heard of any issues of degeneration relating to CO2 but this may be the case. Thanks for the heads up and will look into.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Muckle Flugga

NO. Of course not. Just that they have gone off, likely from heavy rain if in Scotland or other similar accident, such as being pulled etc., but the CO2 hasn't been replaced and they have been repacked to appear normal.

They can be fired again and again, for sure. I have not heard of any issues of degeneration relating to CO2 but this may be the case. Thanks for the heads up and will look into.

Oh, thanks, I misunderstood you.

But worth looking into since life rafts definitely are considered to be degraded by inflating with CO2.

[Endeavor4419]

No, the cartridge has to be replaced.

[transmitterdan]

He means they repacked the bladder but did not replace the CO2 cartridge. The charter companies charge a hefty fee for this so some idiots follow the don't ask don't tell philosophy.

[lockie]

This is a fascinating thread. On my last offshore trip I was musing on just this, and trying to figure out how I would deploy the PLB and light. And also how (or in fact whether) I could unsure the PLB remained with the antenna upright, and do all this as I faded into exhaustion from being wave-tossed and hypothermic.

Lanyard around my neck - ok, but how long can I hold the darned thing horizontal? In a jacket pocket - sure, so long as the sea is calm and I can fumble my way into the right pocket. And so on.

I have not come up with an answer, but am looking into buying a new PFD that comes with light and PLB, with purpose-designed integrated fixings for them. As well as a sprayhood.

I truly have been living in a fool's paradise, thinking "I've got the PFD, the strobe and the PLB, so what could possibly go wrong". Learning, learning......

Cheers, Graeme

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by lockie

This is a fascinating thread. On my last offshore trip I was musing on just this, and trying to figure out how I would deploy the PLB and light. And also how (or in fact whether) I could unsure the PLB remained with the antenna upright, and do all this as I faded into exhaustion from being wave-tossed and hypothermic.

Lanyard around my neck - ok, but how long can I hold the darned thing horizontal? In a jacket pocket - sure, so long as the sea is calm and I can fumble my way into the right pocket. And so on.

I have not come up with an answer, but am looking into buying a new PFD that comes with light and PLB, with purpose-designed integrated fixings for them. As well as a sprayhood.

I truly have been living in a fool's paradise, thinking "I've got the PFD, the strobe and the PLB, so what could possibly go wrong". Learning, learning......

Cheers, Graeme

MY ACR PLB has a belt clip and lanyard with a clip. The clip attached to a small D ring on my harness.

My ACR strobe is attached to my inflation tube and is set to light up if the pfd inflates.

[sharkwatcher]

I worked for NOAA as a fisheries observer for several years, and as part of our issued gear we were given a mustang inflatable PFD with a belt utility pouch like this Mustang Utility Pouch for Inflatable PFD's Orange | eBay
in which was stored our plb, a signal mirror, a whistle and a chem light stick. We now carry on the practice aboard our boat when offshore. Hopefully what happen to the lost family off Florida won't ever happen to us.

[estarzinger]

The best possible current system . . . . Would be molle webbing grid on PFD, and molle straps on pls, vhf's, knife, etc.

That system is light weight, customizable/movable/removable, no rot. It is ideal.

Unfortunately I am only aware of a couple commercial/service PFDs that have molle grids. You could sew one on if you were handy (that would formally void things like uscg approval, but 99% no-one would ever catch or complain about that). This market is VERY slow to adapt and innovate.

[lockie]

Lots of good stuff here, but not very much about the actual difficulty of actually deploying the PLB and then maintaining its position so the antenna is vertical.

Has anyone here actually floated around in a real life MOB situation dangling from their PFD awaiting rescue and used their PLB?

Where was your PLB - jacket pocket, belt pouch, dangling from a neck lanyard, fixed on the outside of your PFD, on the inside? Did you get it out and set it off? How long could you hold it up?

I am really amazed there is not more discussion of this, and addressing of it by the makers and sellers.


The way I see it, you fall in and your PFD inflates (if auto). If it's manual and you're conscious you fire it manually, or try and blow in the tube as you sink (!!!) If not, bye-bye.

Then, if you've made it this far, you set off your PLB (or AIS if it hasn't triggered already), and pull down the spray hood and wait while your body temperature drops. After a short while, you are probably incapable of much at all unless the water is warm and the waves small.

It seems to me that anything not immediately to hand when the PFD is inflated, unless it's a best-case scenario, is just so much useless junk