Astral Green Vest

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Cheeks
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Astral Green Vest

Post by Cheeks »

I was just wondering what y'all thought about the Astral Green. I need a new PFD and the Green looks good.

Specifically, what do you guys think about:

The pullover aspect - Do you find this to be a pro or a con? Can you get it off quickly if you were so compelled?

Flotation - Is 15.5 enough for, say, 200lbs?

I just want to get a basic idea of what I would be buying before I go get it.

Thanks!
Wendy
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Look at others at 200#s weight

Post by Wendy »

I had one and it does not offer the side protection the prior Astral Rescue vest did and could use more flotation. I bought a Peak UK rescue vest and really like it. There are others too
Mike Gardner
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Post by Mike Gardner »

Astral makes nice pfd's but there are a lot out there. IMHO 15.5# is too little flotation. I weigh 190+ (lots of that is extra personal flotation) and 17# in my X-tract is sometimes not enough.

http://whitewatersolutions.net/rescepfd.aspx Has some interesting info
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Yukon
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Post by Yukon »

I got one to demo this year and can not say that impressed with it. too many gimicks, small pocket and having seperate floatation panels did not work for me. If you want a bomber PFD check out Hydroscapes river gear, they will soon be back in production. A real paddlers PFD that works awesome, very comfortable, easy to adjust and is well thought out
I have an original one for past 5 years and love it
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TheKrikkitWars
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Post by TheKrikkitWars »

Pfff to all you nay sayers!

I've had one for ages and I love it, probably the best BA I've ever used, of course if it doesn't fit your body shape then you're probably out of luck with it but that's the same with anything.

I possibly doesn't have the side impact protection of the aquavest 300, but it still has the flexible plastic plates (whereas I fail to see where a Peak UK river guide hides its protection in the 2.5mm neoprene), but the tradeoff is an awesome range of motion, so much so that even when I was playboating I never felt it got in the way.

I also think that astral's height adustment system (where the shoulder straps are fixed length) is far and away the best system on the market.

I do have the european version which is side entry, I like that, but it worked fine as a vest when I left it clipped up too, you could always order an CE one if you want an option other than pullover.

Edit: on the issue of flotation, I've said it many times, but a Hi-Float vest is totally uneccessary, the whole point of a BA is to be an AID to Buoyancy which still allows you to move freely and swim well enough to self rescue, this may entail swiming towards the surface if you happen to swim in the middle of very large rapids, which is normal, and why many people avoid running very large rapids unless they feel sure they can nail the lines.
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OC1er
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Post by OC1er »

not to highjack the thread, but any opinions on the Stohlquist Descent?
Its not about the approach. Its about control in the hole.
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Cheeks
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Post by Cheeks »

OC1er wrote:not to highjack the thread, but any opinions on the Stohlquist Descent?
HIJACKER!!!

No, now I'm also wondering about the Stohlquist. I saw it on a guy and it looked huge and bulky.

And thanks Mike, that's exactly what I was looking for.
Gwyn
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Astral Greenjacket

Post by Gwyn »

I just got one of these this spring. I got a large at first (I am 6ft3in and 170lbs) but it was so high it felt like wearing a bra! I am now wearing an extra large and it is still a bit high. I might chop the shoulder straps and lengthen them myself soon....

Both the side and front pockets keep coming open after an hour or so of use.

Not the best BA I have ever had.......

Gwyn
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Todhunter
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Post by Todhunter »

I like mine so much I bought a second one.

Really, it's my first vest, so I have nothing to compare it to. It never seems to get in the way, and it floats my 140lbs just fine. And I get out of the boat to try it out a lot.
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TonyB
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Post by TonyB »

Chris, I got a vest you gotta try out.
if your looking for a high float rescue .

loots of floattaion good arm mobility, big pockets.
MTI Patriot retials for under $150
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scott curtis
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Post by scott curtis »

GET THIS JACKET OFF ME..I WANT IT OFF 8)
kslund
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Post by kslund »

I've been using the green jacket for 2 years now and really like it so far.
The pullover aspect - Do you find this to be a pro or a con? Can you get it off quickly if you were so compelled?
Honestly, I am not sure if I could get it off if I was stuck in a keeper hole - at least without loosening several of the straps. but I think the odds of ever needing to do this are pretty slim. That said, a buddy of mine was considering doing just this earlier this year when he got the maytag treatment in a sticky ledge drop at high water. Def made me think...
Flotation - Is 15.5 enough for, say, 200lbs?
I had my first "lengthy" swim in this vest this weekend (prior to this I've had many swims but all were very short) - and I was very happy with the floatation. I stayed on my stomach for most of the swim and was able to keep my head up above water just fine. I am probably 220 with all my gear on.
scott curtis
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Post by scott curtis »

take off a life jacket to get out of a hole ... hmm.. i boogie board w/ out a life jacket , because it will often push one out of the hole...take off a life jacket to get out of trouble ? forget that.. i'll drowned w/ mine on ... i won't look like an idiot that way ... well maybe 8)
kslund
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Post by kslund »

Well, the theory is without the jacket on you can get down deeper to catch the water escaping on the bottom - but yeah, then you got no jacket on for the remainder of the swim, so yeah it's definitely a last resort.
scott curtis
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Post by scott curtis »

and the water isn't always escaping via the bottom of the hole, sometimes it's left right @ top , gospel
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