Starts with Safety drills :btu:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/thefishingfreak/A39F5B2D-1E9F-456C-88FE-73613C349E19-2165-000001FBC66E1373_zps1a5d9391.jpg

Thats awesome. Now bringum down the harbor and throw them in.

I was in the canal in Jan 86 with a suit. They are remarkably warm....

:claps::btu: Nicely done.. it's amazing how many people never take them out of the bag besides the day they bought them and the day they ned them.

Nice to have the youth sizes! Lil' Gumby's!

One tip to get more life out of them is to make sure you remove them from the bag at the end of each season and hang them in a dry place. The folds will break down if left in the bag for long periods of time. I rigged up some wooden hangers with PVC pipes I had laying around to make a rugged hanger with a radiused bend for them. The only time mine are in the bag is when they are on the boat, otherwise they are hanging up.

Don't forget to label them with your boat and/or last name. USCG will check that.


Lets hope your kids never have to use them... but you are prepared if they do!

I like that idea with the Pvc pipe
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Also,

Beeswax the zippers once a year.

Like a liferaft they only last so long before they are no good. About 15-17 years. There are tests we have done in the commercial world. The seems breakdown etc. Recently changed out 180 suits :eek::eek: That s*cks when essentially it is a new unused suit.

I would take those whistles off the pull straps. Seems like a good place to put them, but if you have to put the suit on in a hurry you're more likely to grab the whistle and yank... Broken cord, lost whistle. You can tie them to the pocket instead.

Might also be a good idea to invest in some water activated strobes (can clip right to the inflation tube, Revere See-Me LED (http://www.landfallnavigation.com/revereseeme.html)) and also some of the saltwater whistles (Revere Rescue Whistle (http://www.landfallnavigation.com/hearme80900.html)). Those look like the ones with the little cork balls in them? The cork will swell when exposed to saltwater, rendering it inoperable in about an hour.

Great to start the drills early!!

Yes those are the whistles they came with I have plastic clip on dual frequency whistles and Leeland strobes for them. I like the saltwater activated idea. I doubt they could turn the strobes on with their hands in the suits.
The little one needs a modification, it is impossible to close the face strap Velcro. Its Just way too short.
I need to cut the strap off and re-sew/ glue it back on in a different position
I see on the suits you can use cement to patch holes. Any tips for doing this?
It is impossible to close the face strap on hers she won't be able to breath let alone close it herself
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freak,
Don't know about the suits but you
have a couple of beautiful kids.
JohnP