Emily and Me, MTI Design Headquarters

 

Pfd collection(wife's included)

 

Like most things paddling, I have acquired many PFD’s over the years looking for the ultimate one.  I still have not found the perfect one for what we do, but I am getting pretty close.  As part of my research on PFD’s I sought out Emily Dewire of MTI Adventurewear about a year ago when she started at MTI.  Years ago, I worked very part time for Emily at the local Eastern Mountain Store(EMS) where she was a 10 year manager. Emily now is the Inside Sales Manager for MTI located in Plympton, Massachusetts, located 45 minutes from Boston.  Emily, Lili Colby/Gordan Colby(owners), and Jeff Mueller(designer) shared a few minutes of there time as I learned alot more about PFD’s than meets the eye from the PFD experts!  I want to thank Emily,Lili,Jeff, and Gordon of MTI  for their time and letting me demo the Cascade.  The title of this article uses the MTI tag line“Live. Love. Life. Jackets“. 

MTI Life jackets are manufactured by Takashina Life Preservers Company of Osaka, Japan. They are one of the world’s oldest life jacket manufacturers, founded in 1935, and is still owned and operated by the Takashina family. The modern factories are located in Shanghai, China and Hanoi, Vietnam, with customers both in the US, Europe, and Australia. MTI design work is all done  in Plympton, MA. The  product development “dynamic-duo” team- Jeff Muller and Gordon Colby – travel to the TK factories in Asia 4 to 5 times a year to work on existing production and future designs.

I chose to review only the Pfd’s that I use primarly in the summer for racing/training or will be using(Cascade) which are the Kokotat Orbit, Gill Pro Racer, and the Mocke.  I switch to the Stolquist Rocker for winter paddling due to more pockets for winter gear.  The others in the photos are various pfds my wife and I have acquired over the years.  Two of them are Lotus which are no longer in business and one is an Astral.  It is also difficult to buy a non-Coast Guard approved pfd in the U.S.  Last year I bought another Gill Pro Racer from West Marine but since  then, they no longer carry them. It is better to wear a Coast Guard approved PFD due to the stringent requirements manufacturers are required to abide by in producing them.  There are various types of  Coast Guard approved Pfds for different activities with different buoyancy ratings, features, etc.  With all the great fitting PFD’s there is absolutely NO EXCUSE  for not wearing one while paddling or near the water!! NO EXCUSE! It is no longer cool  just have it strapped on your back deck of your ski. 

More pics on link below:
https://picasaweb.google.com/111670948231605580163/PfdReview

LiLi Colby, Co Owner MTI Adventurewear

 

Jeff, Designer

 

MTI Cascade

Cascade

Pros:

1. Side entry pull over. 

2. Low profile though not quite as low as Orbit.

3. Excellent fit and very comfortable. You barely know you are wearing it.  Form fitting due to memory foam cushions.  Feels more comfortable and secure than Orbit.

4. Has an adequate size front pocket to hold phone and smallest of personal beacons.

5. Has internal tie downs and place for gels and keys.

6. Has hand warmer that I use to store a hat or spare gloves.  I thought it would be cool to have the hand warm with zippers on both sides and in this way it could be a dedicated pocket or hand warmer!

7. Has dedicate secure attachment loop that can be used for multiple functions. It even says Attachment Loop.

8. It has “Mesh Air Flow System” for ventilation.  I have only worn this PFD in the winter but I imagine it will be cool as the Orbit.

9. It has 4 other loops, one for hanging it up, 2 located  below front panel, and on the upper back shoulder to secure a hat or helmet. 

While I have only worn this PFD 10 times, it has more features than the others while still being low profile, cool, and comfortable.  This will be my Race Pfd for 2012. 

Cons:

1. While pocket is perfectly located and sized in the front of the PFD,  I was wishing for a sturdier zipper set up that requires only one hand to operate. Once the pocket gets loaded, the zipper requires 2 hands to operate. A capsize could be likely.   Maybe the zipper should be bigger??

Kokatat Orbit Tour

Yellow, Orange Orbits

Pros:

1. Breathes well since it is very low profile and airy, very cool.

2.Has a dual pocket that is perfect for power gels, and a phone, and camera and no more.  You can operate side and front zipper with one hand.  This feature is very important in surfskis since we are often compromise with one hand always on the paddle.  I often take pictures with one hand, and then stuff my camera back in my pfd before my ski comes to a complete stop and I capsize. 

3. Extremely non-restrictive for paddle stroke.

4. Once on the grip panels prevent ride up but contribute to  the wriggle effect getting it on. 

Cons:

1. While low profile it could fit better.  It seems not to conform to your body as much as the others. I have had one of mine for at least 4 years.  Has the thinnest should straps with no padding that contributes to less secure fit. 

2. They had to put the floatation somewhere so the front panel can get in the way of remounting. I have had this happen on occasion.

3. Over the top entry that requires you to wriggle in it. 

Overall this had been my go to racing PFD primarly due to the fact that it is cooler and it has a great pocket set up for racing with the gel pocket.  I tend not to wear it while training due fit.

 

 Gill Pro Racer Buoyance Aid

Gill Pro Racer

Pros:

1. Extremely low profile and fit flush to body.

2. Huge pocket that can carry almost anything.

3. Very comfortable.

4. Lightweight even when wet.

5. Inexpensive

6. Durable

This has been my PFD of choice over the past few years for all my paddling except when I would switch to the Orbit for racing. 

Cons:

1. NOT COAST GUARD APPROVED

 

Mocke PFD(no picture, sold it before review)

Pro:

1. Very light weight, even when wet. 

2. Coolest of any PFD.

3. Has place for hydropack on back.

4. Has large/deep front pocket that can store many things including a bottle of water.

I used this PFD a numerous times in the summer and glad I had it for my longest race ever, the Phatwater Challenge where I used the hydropack on the back along with my hydropack in my footwell.  We tend to store our hydropacks on our skis vice carrying our water on our person.

Cons:

1. NOT COAST GUARD APPROVED. To my knowledge this pfd is no longer sold, at least in the USA due to this fact.  So it has less floatation and does not meet the stringent Coast Guard regulations. 

2. Deep pocket is too deep for reaching for power gels. Your hand could get lost in the deep pocket searching for a gel. 

3. Expensive for how it was made.

4. Not the most durable. 

5. Sizing