SOSpenders

[Water Treater]

Bob,

Just kidding about your wife watching you.

Inflatable PFD's, however, are serious business. I've been wearing CREWSAVER brand auto inflating vests for more than a decade when fishing from my small boat. I never leave the dock without wearing one. They are very comfortable and hardly noticeable under loose fitting sweatshirts.
Years ago I had one of them inflate (in the trunk my car) after a very windy and wet trip across Cape Cod Bay from P-Town to Green Harbor.
I test test my PFD's every spring (inflate manually) to see if they stay inflated overnight. I also check the actuator and valve and weigh the CO2 cartridge to see if it is still full of CO2. Important to do these things every year.

I would not rely on manual inflation when fishing rough surf (I surf fish every fall). Buy the auto inflating type of PFD, and get one with a harness so you can be grabbed and pulled to safety. By the way, you can always manually inflate an automatic PFD and convert an automatic PFD into a manual style by removiee CO2 cartridge. The automatic models all come with the same manual rip cord as the manual models.

Your wife is right. You should wear one of these devices when fishing rough surf.

Bill