About
Reviews (2)
Mar 24, 2018
Great tackle backpack
0 of 1 found this helpful This is exactly what I needed. Solid bag with tons of space and affordable price. Sold at Dick’s for $80
Mar 11, 2018
Best PFD for the price
Shipping took less than a week, ****** responded to my only question which was regarding whether the cylinder is included or not, and YES IT IS INCLUDED. I would definitely repeat buying from this ******.
As for the PFD it self:
- IMPORTANT: This PFD is US coast guard approved. There are other quality and good reviewed Inflatable PFD’s out there, that have different certifications, but are not US Coast guard approved. So keep this in mind.
- I have not tried it on the water yet. But I did a lot of research online about different types of Inflatable PFD’s and their firing mechanism. If this is your 1ST inflatable PFD like me, it can be a bit confusing.
-So here is the summary:
There are two main types of inflatable PFD’s: Auto and Manual only. This ONYX PFD has an option to switch from Auto to Manual only mode. All inflatable PFD’s (including Auto) can be inflated by pulling the “jerk to inflate” handle and or by plowing air into the mouth piece. There are different types of firing mechanisms. This specific PFD gets inflated when the yellow bobbin gets wet then it triggers the firing pin which then pierce the CO2 cylinder causing the PFD to inflate. If you switch it to the “manual only” mode, it will not get inflated unless you pull the “jerk to inflate” handle. The manual only PFD’s are ideal for when you are worried about accidental firing/inflating. For my fishing and boating needs the automatic mode is recommended. If however, i wear this while skiing or with similar activities, I will have to switch it to manual only mode to prevent it from accidental inflating.
- Important: The PFD gets delivered “unarmed”. You must arm it by installing the CO2 cylinder before putting it on. Doing so is easy enough, yet it’s a bit intimidating if it’s you first ever inflatable PFD and if you are trying to rely only on the text manual. Watch these YouTube manuals and you will find it so easy to setup and arm.
1) Rearming and repacking instruction video:youtu.be/Wy6aEZxJsnA
2) Switching from “Auto” to “Manual only” mode video:youtu.be/gMFGwHZyp1A
- It’s also recommended to buy and carry a rearming kit which you need to rearm the PFD and to replace the CO2 cylinder each time you inflate the PFD. Make sure it’s the compatible rearming Kit “”Onyx A/M-24 Rearming Kit for Automatic/Manual Models ONYX KIT ITEM#K320 or part #1002295. Sold on walmart /ip/Onyx-A-M-24-Rearming-Kit-for-Automatic-Manual-Models/21439606 for $19.
- Rearming kit should include: (1) 24-gram CO2 cylinder with a 1/2-inch thread (2) yellow water-soluble bobbin for automatic activation - this should not be older older than 3 years from the production date and some recommended that it should be replaced at least once a year (3) green indicator clip
- Fit is nice and it’s very light weight.
- Appearance is very basic but I don’t care much
- It comes with a mesh carrying bag which is nice.