Well, Santa brought my first yak

[zaxdad]

I guess my wife and boys got tired of seeing me window shop kayaks. They surprised me with a 10 ft SOT. I will pick out my own paddle but I never realized that my regular boating PFDs would not do the job in a kayak. Does everyone here recommend a PFD made specifically for paddling? It looks like a jacket made for paddling might help you fit into the seat a little better. Thoughts?? Thanks for the input.

[yellowjacket]

can we see a pic of ur yak? have no idea as i have never fished out of a yak

[nemofisher]

I've only been at it for a couple of years, and sadly didn't get in my kayak but a 3 or 4 times this year. I use an inflatable pfd. They allow your back to be completely exposed. Summertime can get pretty warm, but this type allows great ventalation. I bought a manual, because that is what i could afford at the time. The automatic type concerns me a bit, because you could end up spending a bit of money re-arming it. There is also now the HIT type that inflates on the equivilence of 4 inches of water pressure. Kind of like insurance. How much is too much

[mb4850]

In Arkansas you can use an inflatable type V which is a waist belt that you inflate manually.

[Bob G]

Congratulations on your first kayak! I have been fishing out of a yak for about 4 years now and for the most part it is exclusive. My motor boat just sits around anymore. Any way, I use a NRS Chinook PFD. I shopped around and compared pfds but, I found this one to be the most comfortable for me. I live in Pennsylvania and we are required to wear a pfd in a yak so I knew that the pfd would need to be comfortable.
Go to any yak shop in your area and see if you can try some on.
Hope this helps

[bfish]

NRS, extrasport, MTI, stholquist, kokatat, Astral all make kayak (and kayak fishing) specific pfd models. Best advice is to try them on, and sit down (like you sitting in a kayak). Make adjustments, and sit down again, if it is still riding up try a different brand/model.

My favorite (I have 4 different kayak pfd) is green colored stholquist wedge-e model.

[froggywaters]

yes they make many differnt types understand that . a pfd is a life saver if you are not comfortable you want wear it and it doesnt work stowed in your boat you must use it to have it work for you

[Nanosio2]

I bought this one last season and love it:

Stohlquist Fisherman PFD - Free Shipping at REI.com

Congratulations on your first kayak! I bought my first one last season (Ocean Kayak Malibu 2XL, SOT) and I logged over twenty fishing trips with it between July and October. I wore this PFD every single trip out. I think one way to make sure you will get the most out of your kayak PFD spend is to choose one not just for safety and comfort, but also utility - lots of features for storing essential fishing gear. This one fit the bill for me in that regard.