Immersion Suits

i have a couple that my friend took out for tuna last year - also a satellite gps epirb - im just storing the suits for a friend i used to commercial fish with- the newer ones look nice! i had a brand new one when i was a kid deckhanding - sold it when i quit - they are bulky to store on a boat
 
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Yep I carry two as well as my 6 man Viking lift raft in a cannister and a PLB EPIRB. No such thing as too much safety
 
I have at least one or two in my forepeak at all times. I used to be a commie up in the Bering Sea (3 minutes in the water without protection and you're as good as dead up there) --I know several guys that lived to tell the tale because of their humpty-dumpty suits. I know several that died in their suits. But they would have died a lot quicker without the suit.

These days you can pick them up on CL for $ 100. Not a bad price for your life.
 
finaddict said:
Yep I carry two as well as my 6 man Viking lift raft in a cannister and a PLB EPIRB. No such thing as too much safety
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True enough about the safey, I installed an EPIRB last year and am definately thinking about some of those suits but I priced them out and they were $700 each. Anyone hear of any better deals on them than that?
 
Anyone with these suits has to remember to practice regularly getting into them in about 1 minute. If you can't get them on completely and properly in that time your more than likely going to be getting wet in the time a small boat will swamp. Once your wet the suits can't do their job. You have to be able to get in them dry. The zippers also have to be regularly treated to keep them water tight.
 
They take up about the same amount of room as a dead hooker in a bag....

Do you have the room?

If you are safe in a 20ft boat I don't see the need. If you want to play the mistress then take one..
 
profisher said:
Anyone with these suits has to remember to practice regularly getting into them in about 1 minute. If you can't get them on completely and properly in that time your more than likely going to be getting wet in the time a small boat will swamp. Once your wet the suits can't do their job. You have to be able to get in them dry. The zippers also have to be regularly treated to keep them water tight.
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You're right about being able to get suited up within a minute... But the suits aren't watertight and you'll get wet as soon as you enter the water. I had one on in a pool the other day while taking a survival craft course. Maybe there are different ones though.....

If anyone is going to fork out the cash for one, I highly recommend trying it on first. If you're ever going to need to use the thing, it might as well be comfy. :)
 
If it is a true survival suit it has to keep you dry or it won't extend your survival time in cold water. We did the same routine in the pool for the Marine Emergency Duty Coarse...went in with jeans and a t-shirt under the suit...swam around for awhile and came out perfectly dry.
 
You can reduce the bulk by storing them in a dry bag and squeezing out all the air before you seal the bag. They end up less than half the volume.
 
Papacorn said:
You can reduce the bulk by storing them in a dry bag and squeezing out all the air before you seal the bag. They end up less than half the volume.
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I like to keep mine in my bow locker. My question is how do you keep it from getting all moldy by the end of the season from sitting in the boat?
 
JAC said:
Do any of you guys use a SPOT for cheaper option than a EPIRB?
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I have a SPOT as well, definately cheap at $180 and $120 a year for subscription (at least no annual fee for EPIRB). Mostly bought it for hunting and snowmobiling but also keep it in my pocket on the boat. They are waterproof down to about 20 feet and transmit your coordinates every minute after you hit the SOS button.
 
Hey another question for anyone, I've always wondered if a boat gets swamped, will the average one still be kind of half floating out of the water or mostly under the water and drifting? Talking about newer boats that have adequate foam in the hull (not sure when most manufacturers starting building boats with lots of internal flotation). Obviously depends also on how much weight in the boat and current and wind etc.
 
Whole in the Water said:
I like to keep mine in my bow locker. My question is how do you keep it from getting all moldy by the end of the season from sitting in the boat?
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It should have came with a dry bag, with the buttoned up top for quick access? If it is still getting wet, you should contact the manufacturer or go to where you bought it from to find out about the proper cleaning products to get rid of any mold.
 
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I do believe that boat under 18 or 19 feet must be able to float when swamped by law. There are lots of larger boats that also will float when swaped just have to check with each boat builder to find out.
 
i took a med a 1 coarse for my master 4 coarse and a friend how was in the same corse put his suit on it was early eighties vintage and the lining inside detearated and the suit was no good you guy should try the suits on and get in the water wax the zippers just not keep them in your bow. we did a group buy from the coarse and got a better deal mustang is a why better suit
 
Hey man, if you ever took that old tub of a boat of yours out in the open water than i would agree with wanting immersion suits,:D but with you only going out 5 or 10 min from the docks your ok im sure.
 
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DV-ENT said:
Hey man, if you ever took that old tub of a boat of yours out in the open water than i would agree with wanting immersion suits but with you only going out 5 or 10 min from the docks your ok im sure.
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Hey man you'd better be a little nicer than that if you want to come fishin again!!!
 
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