PFD size help
 

The wifey is griping about wearing my life jacket and I would like to get her a nice side entry vest tailored for a womans curves.
I don't have a decent board shop nearby that has any kind of assortment and so mail order will most likely have to be the choice.
I can rummage through her dresser for sizes of what? Blouses, braziers? She is a little short waisted and rather, well >>> buoyant but in good shape for 40+ and 3 kiddos.

So how do I figure this out? Are girls sizes and guys different? There is one in the classified adds here. Oh and I would like it CGA.

So, ideas of brands and models, sizes, I need some help because Miami Nautique is the closest real shop and she isn't going there any time soon.
Thanks,
John

Hello,
Not a side entry but I love the O'Neil Law. It is USCGA which I insist on and holds the girls nicely. For me it is the size of dress or suit that I wear - 8, 10, 12, etc. If she is super stacked you might want to go up a size so that it fits up top. Getting her a great lifejacket will be a super gift - wearing a poorly fitting vest is not fun.

Hi Liz, thanks for the suggestion, I'll take a look. Have you seen the new Ronix pull over with the half zipper in the back? 120$!! wow. That thing looks great but I am hoping for reviews. Unfortunately its a S-M-L size thing. Ever get your girl a garment in a size too large? Not recommended.
This shouldn't be so hard.

Liz, does the zipper abrade your chin on the O'Brien? No issue?

I have worn guys vests before because they tend to be longer, but finally I found a women's jacket that I totally love! (and it's long too!) It's the Oneill Flare and CGA. I wear a size 8 and your best bet to get a better idea of what size to get is to obtain her measurements and then look on some lifejacket brand sizing charts and go from there. I think any Oneill is a great choice personally. Good Luck!

Oh yeah, I'm selling my Oneill Flare CGA size 8. PM me or email me at SunsetOrangeTa@hotmail.com The reason I'm getting rid of it, I got the same life jacket but in different color!

Audrey - where did you find a CGA flare? I thought those were comp vest. I might be interested if they are now making them CGA!

I second the O'Neill Law as the most comfortable CGA jacket that I have found. I have tried many others & always gone back to the O'Neill Law. The zipper does not detract from the comfort in any way. I don't think I could make my chin reach it anyway! :-D

PS The biggest problem for me with a guy's vest is that it's too long. If she is short waisted, the jacket will likely ride up around her ears when she is in the water. I asked Mr. Murray to start making his JP jacket in a Women's style...love that jacket, but too long for me!

kat i'm pretty short 5'6" and the hyperlite side entry was the only cga vest i could find to be short enough in the waist and plenty of movement in the arms. don't know if they make it in womens sizes though.

Yeah, I have a Oneill Gem Comp and really needed CGA so I went to the Houston Boat Show and ended up buying a real nice Oneill Flare CGA from M2Sports. Then I recently found another Oneill Flare CGA on ebay. They are available but very hard to find!

Here is link to one http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-ONeill-Flare...item3f0350e5ae

I don't think that the Flare is USCGA. According to the O'Neil site it is a competition vest. SInce it doesn't have any buckles I wonder if any of them are USCGA?
http://www.oneill.com/#/women/americ..._vest/petunia/

I know that the Law is the USCGA version of the Outlaw. When given an option I would go for the USCGA over non any day of the week. Now, I did try on the O'Neil Guru and it is amazingly comfy. Haven't tried it in the water yet but that might be a pull-on vest that is non USCGA that I would consider.

Look on the label. It will say USCG approved type III (or II or I or IV as applies) If it isn't marked it isn't approved.


Back on topic the Admiral is a 38C short with a short waste.

vest size?

the liquid force hinge at evo gear .com is a short waisted vest. a medium womens vest fits size 10-12 and a chest size of 36-38.they have a sizing chart on their website evo.com.

I promise it's CGA :) It has hidden buckles and everything...... it says it on the label

Look at http://www.boardco.com/shopexd.asp?id=17757

O'neill Flare Womens USCG Approved Vest (2010)

Thanks for the link, Audrey. It looks like a great vest! Does the zipper go straight down the front or is it asymmetrical? Hard to tell from the photo. I like the idea of hidden buckles - it has the profile of a comp vest and the safety of coast-guard approved. I need to find one around here to try on - thanks for the info!

John,
Your Admiral would probably go well in a O'Neil Law size 12. I'm a little smaller than her in the chest and mine fits just slightly loose. It is not a side-entry though so if you think she is stuck on that idea you may have to look a little further. I have one vest that is too small and it is not a great feeling to zip up the top and not have enough room. The Flare that Audrey posted looks super nice but I am not sure how it would wear in the water or on sizes. It doesn't seem to be side entry either.

Anyone have a USCGA side entry vest that they can recommend to John?

Ten-80 makes a great side entry vest. It is especially great for women with a shorter torso. I've been wearing the Southside all season. It doesn't ride up or come un-done. It's very well fitted! As far as the sizing goes, I think you should order the size that she normally wears in a blouse.

http://ten-80.com/products/vests-southside.php

Here is a pic of me wearing the vest. It does have a slight asymmetrical to it.

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/5016/vestc.jpg

If you really want to splurge, Wing Wetsuits will make a custom side entry jacket built to her specific measurements. They have a variety of colors to choose from and the vests are fantastic! I believe they are Australian CGA, which is essentially the same as US, with the exception of only one buckle at the waist as opposed to two. Check out their website and it gives all of the details of how to go about ordering, measuring, etc. I have one and I absolutely love it!

The company is owned by Amber Wing's family. They are fantastic people and happy to help in any way. They do carry a couple of models of stock vests, which may work for your wife as well. They can let you know what will fit best and if custom is the way to go. You can reach them by email through their website, www.wing.com.au