A PFD Fit for a Woman
May 2, 2010 by Allison
For all of my other fellow women kayakers out there you will likely know as I do how uncomfortable a PFD can be. Most lifejackets are not designed for a women’s body and consequently can be one of the most awkward and uncomfortable pieces of clothing/protection that you could wear.
As most PFD’s are unisex I never really thought in years past about the fit of my lifejacket. Up until this year my lifejacket was old and well used. It had been worn by many people both men and women.
It fit okay but usually within minutes of beginning to kayak it would get uncomfortable. Either the back would ride up or it would rub against my skin or it would cause me to sweat in the heat. I never enjoyed wearing it.
A PFD that actually fits?!
This year I decided to look into getting a PFD that was designed specifically for a woman. Don’t ask me why I had not thought of this before. I guess because I had a PFD to use and although it wasn’t the best fit, I knew it worked fine and I simply didn’t think of spending the money to replace it.
However I like comfort and I decided I wanted my PFD to actually fit MY body and not everyone’s body. I knew that Stohlquist made some excellent PFD’s and that they had several models that were specifically designed for women.
The Stohlquist women’s PFD models are:
- The Stohlquist Women’s BetSEA
- The Stohlquist Women’s Cruiser
- The Stohlquist Women’s Kitty
- The Stohlquist Women’s GETaWay
- The Stohlquist Women’s eSCAPE
Each of these PFD’s have received good reviews from other women… specifically the Stohlquist BetSEA
After a little bit of research I decided to go for the Stohlquist Cruiser. I liked this PFD for several reasons:
- It has two big pockets in the front – I can fit my camera and other nicknacks in them.
- It has hand-sculpted PVC-free (better for the environment) front foam with supportive inner cups
- It has extra wide armholes
- It has mesh side panels and lower half back – great for keeping cool in hot weather
- I liked the colors!
My thoughts after wearing the Stohlquist Cruiser
I was really impressed. This PFD was very comfortable. It was easily adjustable and conformed to my body far better than any PFD I had every worn. It did not ride up and fit nicely against my kayak seat. Also the padded shoulders and waist belt were really comfortable. This PFD did not rub or irritate my skin at all.
I have not yet worn it in really hot weather but I think it is going to be such a nice change to actually be able to ‘breathe’ in my lifejacket with the mesh siding and back.
Both my mom and I purchased this same PFD. We couldn’t decide on the colors so we ended up with one blue and one pink – and we both switch. All in all were both very happy with the Stohlquist Women’s Cruiser and would recommend it for any woman.
View our kayaking pictures with us wearing our Stohlquist Cruiser PFD’s.
Below are more stats for the Stohlquist Cruiser PFD:
- Buoyancy 16 lbs. 12 oz.
- 500 denier Cordura shell
- 200 denier oxford liner
- Front zipper entry with #5 YKK non-corroding slider
- Hand sculpted front foam with supportive inner cups
- Extra wide armholes and cool mesh side panels
- Adjustable neoprene-padded shoulders
- Cinch harness system
- 1.5” webbing waist belt with forward pulls
- Zippered bellows pockets with drainage
- High waistline cut
- #10 YKK Vision front zip entry
- 4-way accessory lash tab
- 3M reflective trim front and back
- PVC-free Gaia foam
- US Coast Guard and Transport Canada approved
The Stohlquist Women’s Cruiser PFD is perfect for sea kayakers, sit-on-top kayakers and flat water kayakers. It is available at:
- Amazon.com – Stohlquist Women’s Cruiser PFD
- REI.com – Stohlquist Women’s Cruiser PFD
Did You Know?Related postsBy clicking on our links then shopping at Sea Eagle
, NRS, MPGear, Amazon, Altrec, Innova, Backcountry, REI, Water Outfitters or West Marine you are helping us to keep IKWorld growing. Thank you for supporting us at Inflatable Kayak World.
