Extrasport's Mona Lisa

Lotus Design's Locean

Kokatat's MsFit

Stohlquist's Mobius

Just a few years ago, the great majority of sea kayakers were men. Most of the boats and gear on the market were, of course, oriented toward men's body sizes. Today, with the boom in interest in sea kayaking, the base of paddlers has shifted to include many more women. In fact, at the 1997 West Coast Sea Kayaker Symposium, according to the Trade Association of Paddle Sports' (TAPS) executive director Neil Weisner-Hanks, fully half of the participants were women.
Female paddlers have, until recently, had to make do with personal flotation devices (PFDs) designed for men. It would be hard to find a female paddler who hasn't experienced the frustration of wearing a PFD designed for men in which the shoulders ride up to the point where her chin rests on the front panel, it cannot be cinched in enough to provide a snug fit, or the bust is uncomfortably constricted.
The good news is that manufacturers are now beginning to design and market products geared specifically toward women paddlers. Women's PFDs allow for a greater range of adjustability and various foam panel configurations to accommodate different builds.
With several new women's vests on the market, we decided to review one from each of four leading manufacturers, to gain an insight into how these PFDs compare and contrast with each other, and how they function for women paddlers.
As with any gear or equipment for paddlers, there is no one PFD that can be considered "best" for all female paddlers. When selecting a PFD, each individual needs to take into account factors such as how well it fits, how you plan to use the PFD (for day trips or extended journeys), and how advanced a paddler you are-do you really need the tow rope loop if you don't even own a tow rope?
Some features to look for in determining which PFD is right for you are: visibility; range of motion (for paddle sweeps and bending during rolls); length (the shorter styles are usually better fitting for women); comfort; and useful features such as mesh pockets or gear loops.
Sea Kayaker had two expert women paddlers of different sizes try out four PFDs supplied by the manufacturers: Extrasport's Mona Lisa, Kokatat's MsFit, Lotus Design's Locean and Stohlquist's Mobius. (While the Mobius is marketed for both men and women, it was originally designed for women.)
All of the PFDs tested were the vest-style Type III "flotation aid." They are all made of closed-cell foam, and designed for water sports.
According to U.S. Coast Guard regulations, the Type III PFDs are meant to provide a stable, face-up position in calm water for a wearer floating with her head tilted back. Our reviewers found that, with the exception of one of the PFDs tested, when beginning from a neutral, vertical position, the tendency of each PFD was to push the wearer face-down. It took the extra effort of tilting the head back to achieve the face-up position.
Additionally, each of the PFDs we tested was short-waisted, which makes for a better fit for women, who typically have shorter torsos. The reviewers assessed each of the PFDs in nine areas: appearance, construction, ease of entry/exit, fit, adjustability, range of motion, buoyancy, features and visibility.
Since the consumer's only way to assess a PFD in a retail store is to try it on for comfort, we had our reviewers take these PFDs through their paces in the water as well, to provide a better picture of how they would perform in a situation where the wearer is swimming. In addition to testing in the water, each PFD was put through a rigorous workout including extended paddle trips in varying conditions and rolling.

Leslie Forsberg was the executive editor of Sea Kayaker magazine.