The distribution of foam has a huge effect on the performance of the PFD. It affects the fit, range of motion, bulk as well as flotation position, comfort while floating and ease of swimming. Our optimal goal is to create the most comfortable PFD to swim, float and paddle in. This year we’ve introduced a new design concept where the front of the PFD is actually separated into two panels. We believe this new platform brought us closer to our goal than any other design before it.

--Philip Curry, Astral Buoyancy
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The foam distribution/displacement is definitely a key element when a kayaker is selecting the proper PFD for the kind of kayaking they do. How a PFD’s front and back foam is sculpted directly impacts the comfort, mobility, and general efficiency of the kayaker’s stroke. No one wants to expend energy fighting against a PFD – it should be a synergy, something the kayaker doesn’t even have to think about. The front foam is always going to be bulkier and thicker than the back section to maintain the proper distribution of buoyancy once in the water – to keep the kayaker’s chest up.

--Robin Skillings, Extrasport/Johnson Outdoors
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The goal is to strike a balance between ensuring a face-up floating position and maximum freedom of movement and comfortable fit. Comfort is affected by the bulk of foam panels, the length of foam, etc. For kayakers, short-waisted PFDs are preferred to minimize ride-up. At the same time, you can't just keep adding foam to the front or back panels as this will obscure visibility as well as be uncomfortable in many of the popular high-back kayak seats. Cutting foam panels with a bevel or angle can enhance freedom of movement and minimize chafing. The use of layers of foam rather than one thick panel will also help with comfort as layered foam will flex more freely.

--Buff Grubb, Harmony
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Foam distribution is paramount to a PFD’s performance. The unfortunate thing is that optimum foam distribution for paddling performance can be somewhat at odds with optimum distribution for in-water performance. The ideal PFD for paddling would not interfere with a wide range of paddle strokes, rolling techniques, or reentry in the event of a wet exit. This would place a minimum of foam thickness and coverage on the front torso. Unfortunately, the upper front torso is exactly where the highest percentage of foam is required to achieve acceptable performance in the water. The material composition and artful shaping of the buoyant inserts is the secret to striking a balance between these two divergent performance requirements. Our primary goals when developing buoyant inserts for a new device are to accommodate the widest possible range of body types and minimize the effect on natural paddling motion while providing the best possible in-water performance that meets the requirements set by the US Coast Guard, Transport Canada, and the European Union.

--Adam Knoeller, Kokatat
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Distribution of foam in a PFD is not totally within the control of the manufacturer; US Coast Guard-approval specifications require that at least 50% of the flotation must be in the chest/front panels. This is to help keep the wearer face up when floating. We work within the confines of the government specs to ensure that the flotation panels and adjustment points work together to give a good fit to multiple body shapes. It’s important that arm openings allow unrestricted paddling motion. With the models designed for sea-kayak touring, we’ve replaced the foam in the lower back with mesh for comfort against seat backs. The end goal of one of our PFD designs is to create a life jacket that is easy to don and adjust, has excellent safety features and is comfortable for all-day wearing.

--NRS
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Our goal when designing PFDs is to ensure that the final overall fit is comfortable for the users so that they’ll actually wear the jacket when paddling instead of stowing it away. Having a jacket actually on your body when you end up in the water is also the goal of the guys at the Coast Guard. So we try to help them with that by trying to design a vest and panels that provide the best safety in the water while at the same time isn’t a burden to wear when you’re not. For a Type III jacket you need to displace enough water around the body to float the person with at least 15.5 pounds of buoyancy in an adult jacket, with more buoyancy in the front. For most paddlers keeping the sides of the jacket open is a key concern for unencumbered arm rotation. So there are a lot of different design parameters to work out to be able to balance the buoyancy correctly for comfort and performance, and yet still pass all UL tests.

---Gordon Colby, Palm/MTI
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After PFD pockets gained USCG approval, PFDs have served touring kayakers as flotation and as gear vests. How do you design pockets to suit the needs of kayakers? Can you overload the pockets and compromise flotation?

Sea kayakers typically want one thing: more pockets. However, as the amount of possible pocket space is limited, the main focus is the placing and utility of the pocket. It is important to allow the ability to compartmentalize and at the same time make the pockets easy to access. In our Grunion PFD we have introduced the concept of molded foam pockets which are very easy to open and close with one hand.

--Philip Curry, Astral Buoyancy
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Pockets are a much-needed component of a sea kayaker’s PFD and have typically been a clunky cargo pocket with a bulky closure. So when Extrasport’s PFD line was being redesigned a goal of mine was to design pockets that were accessible and capable of holding all pertinent on-water necessities, but that were also extremely sleek so as not to catch on anything and cause a safety hazard. Our pockets have laser-cut drain holes as well as full mesh sides to allow it to bellow and expand to accommodate large items like flares, knives or VHF radios – all of which can also be attached to various attachment points on the shoulders or chest.

--Robin Skillings, Extrasport/Johnson Outdoors
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Pockets need to have ease of access, particularly for a paddler in a seated position, and need to be oriented to make access as easy as possible. A bellows-style pocket has some advantages in that it has good capacity but rides snug against the front panel when not in use. The other advantage one can create with pockets is internal organizers or smaller pockets. These allow the paddler to stow items such as flares, sunscreen, or compass securely and to know where they will be when needed. We also pay attention to the necessity of retaining items in the pocket when opened so they are not lost overboard. This is most easily accomplished by stopping zippers short of the bottom seam of the pocket or having an elastic tensioner on the pocket that keeps the pocket snugged up against the panel until your hand is inserted. The prospect of overloading pockets in terms of weight is not the greatest challenge with pockets. Rather it is the bulk of items in the pocket which can compromise a paddler’s ability to re-enter the boat. Pockets and contents that get snagged on the deck can prevent paddlers from hoisting themselves into the cockpit efficiently.

--Buff Grubb, Harmony
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It is important to have a firm grasp on what the paddler will be carrying on the PFD when designing pocket capacity, features, closure, and placement. Function-specific pockets, such as pockets for GPS and or VHF devices can be limited in other functions, but are a great feature for paddlers who wish to carry those devices on their vest. While it’s possible to overload pockets enough to compromise flotation, an effective PFD design will account for this and provide ample flotation and distribution to insure that the device will provide adequate in-water performance with all pockets fully loaded. It should be noted that USCG approval recognizes this problem and limits the allowable pocket capacity. Accessory pockets that are designed to be clipped to a PFD should be treated with caution, as they fall outside USCG requirements and are often large enough in capacity that they could drastically compromise in-water performance if loaded with heavy cargo.

--Adam Knoeller, Kokatat
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It’s now more common to see PFDs with pockets than without them. People love their PFD pockets for keys, sunscreen, snacks and the like. Some NRS PFDs have zippered pockets and some have hook-and-loop closures. We are generous with the size of pockets on all our PFDs. The USCG Standard requires the testing laboratory to put weights in all pockets during testing to ensure that flotation is not adversely affected.

--NRS
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There are specific parameters for approved pockets. The UL tests pockets by loading them with steel shot or the equivalent, to try to overload them. If a kayaker were to fill a big hydration pocket in back of a PFD with something other than a liquid, that’s going to spoil the buoyancy balance pretty darn fast. It’s the old “don’t dry your cat in the microwave” principal, but the truth is that someone has to try to protect people from doing somewhat stupid stuff. It’s important for people to realize that you’ve got to “bring your brain to the paddle.” This is true for the use of any PFD. You can’t put all the responsibility for your safety on the manufacturers. We do the best job we can to design products that will work. UL spends hours of testing to make sure a vest will work. But it’s up to the user to wear it and be responsible on the water.

--Gordon Colby, Palm/MTI
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