ONYX M-16 Manual Inflatable Belt Pack Life Jacket

This is an excellent alternative to a full size PFD jacket. My need for a PFD is in a kayak I fish from. I use my kayak on mainly calm waters and slow moving rivers and this PFD is perfect to comply with the law without the bulk of a full size jacket. Thanks to others who confirmed for me before I bought it that it is USGC approved. Very easy to setup with the H2O cartridge and fits very comfortably around the waist. Adjustable straps are great allowing for a comfortable fit and easy to strap on. Highly recommend this product if you want a smaller PFD without the bulk. For ocean waters or more active bodies of water I would be inclined to go with a standard jacket PFD.

I bought this because it would be much more comfortable than a vest while kayaking. In that, it absolutely is. On a recent trip to sea kayak, our boats filled with water and we eventually capsized. These PFDs performed perfectly. In fact, were it not for this PFD, I doubt I'd be sitting here now. Compared to other PFDs, it was reasonably comfortable while I was in the water and I had free range of motion with my arms to swim. deployment was very easy and didn't require any really thought. If I could give this 1000 stars, I would!

I use this out on the lake for safety but it also is so lightweight I forget I have it on. It's USCG approved. There are instructions that let you check to make sure it is holding air properly (do this upon receiving and then each year of use). The around the waist feature lets you paddle without anything impeding your stroke. If you were to need to use the pull tab to inflate you can purchase a new CO2 cartridge and have the life jacket functioning again. I'm very pleased with my purchase and have sent others the link to purchase.

This is the most minimalist, least-intrusive life vest that I could find for use in a sculling shell or kayak. I barely even know it is there most of the time. When inflated, it is basically a large rectangular float with a strap that goes on over your head. This is less comfortable than the 'horse collar' type, where the collar is inflated as well. Just keep in mind that when you pull the cord, the vest inflates, then you have to grab the strap and pull it over your head. This is more cumbersome and time-consuming than the horse-collar vests, most of which inflate automatically if you go into the water. Finally, the CO2 cartridge does not fully inflate the vest; if you want it fully-inflated, you will have to puff a few times into the inflation tube.Bottom line: a great life vest as long as you realize its limitations.

We have a trip to Puerto Rico coming up and are planning on doing a lot of snorkeling at the local beaches. We both consider ourselves strong swimmers but you never know what can happen so we decided to purchase these. I have a 28" waist my husband is 32" these life belts fit both of us just fine with plenty to spare. We swam with these at the local pool today and discharged them to make sure they work. We were very comfortable swimming with them, barely noticeable (I was afraid there would be too much drag but there was none at all). Both belts, with a firm tug, discharged smoothly with no issues. The only issue we both had was the velcro on the underside of the belt (part of the cover that opens when discharged) snagged my one piece suit and was a bit scratchy on my husband's skin. Minor in my opinion for a great life saving device and peace of mind. Also very easy to rearm and repack, the company's website has a great video showing how to do it.

great concept and comfortable to wear. I paddle mostly in lakes and typically near shore. Safety is very important but was happy to find a safety system where i could enjoy the warm weather on the water without wearing a full life vest. Probably if i paddled in open water or father from a shore then i would wear my traditional full paddle jacket. But for local lakes this is perfect

I wrote a review on a blue one which was a mistake, this one is the one I meant to write about.....We haven’t had to use this Praising God!! This is perfect for me, it comes with the small tank to inflate it if need to use very comfortable and not bulky, I am claustrophobic and this is perfect for me, I can be safe and not confined!! Perfect

Update 7/23/21: Contacted company and relayed the defect and it was promptly replaced. I’m very happy with this resolution and wore it yesterday for my kayak’s maiden voyage and hardly notice it, such a great innovation in this space.Original review: This is a great design and I received the two I ordered faster than expected. One of them is great but the other one is defective with a backwards mechanism. Shown in lower half of my photo to illustrate. If you pull the cord it will not deploy because it’s the wrong direction. But because of the co2 it is non-returnable. I’ve messaged the seller to see about getting a new one. I’ll add an update with what the response is.Update 7/23/21: Contacted company and relayed the defect and it was promptly replaced. I’m very happy with this resolution and wore it yesterday for my kayak’s maiden voyage and hardly notice it, such a great innovation in this space.