Re: TRIPPER PFD, any alternatives?

No prob Dawid. I finally got my wire thru a week ago and PFD supposed to come in anytime this week. Im concerned if its going to add to the heat. Im in a tropical country where temp ranges from 28 to 36!

I got the same size as yours. Im around 5'10.

I got to test the mocke PFD the other day. 2 liter bladder fit exactly on the back pocket. Previously, L-XL could only fit a 1 liter. I would have appreciated a second velcro on top of the front pocket instead of just a loop. Using my cambelbak tube director solved that issue.

It fit snug which is ideal I suppose. I don't know what the purpose of the buckle underneath the zipper is for. When zipped up from the left side, buckle is supposed to tighten what's underneath.

I work in a garments manufacturing company. It was easy for me to spot a few minor things that can be improved on in sewing.

1. The placement of the Mocke product label at the back was off center.
2. The Mocke embroidery needs improvement.
3. The loops on the front and back are not sewn in securely. If I use this to hook my pfd, this will be stitched off easily in time.
4. The velcro straps that were sewed on the left and right did not overlap exact of each other. Sewing in this part was also minimal compared to the other parts of the pfd. This could stitch off in time.


I raise these issues as this is slightly expensive PFD. With the price, I expected almost perfect quality.

Again these are all really minor issues. The mocke did its part by making sure I float in the times I fell of my ski. It also felt cool compared to the others I've used. Thanks to the aircool fabric and the foam blocks used. I also felt snug and secure in the water and that's important. : )

Thanks to the women of Quiver for accommodating my overseas request. I hope the product continuously improves in the coming months.

Is it right now to assume that pfd`s are going back to having solid blocks of foam in them and not the tiny little balls? Why would this be? I thought the tiny balls worked well and conformed to ones body and paddling style better and that was why they came in use in pfd`s. Any reason why new ones have the blocks now?

Is it right now to assume that pfd`s are going back to having solid blocks of foam in them and not the tiny little balls? Why would this be? I thought the tiny balls worked well and conformed to ones body and paddling style better and that was why they came in use in pfd`s. Any reason why new ones have the blocks now?

I used to use a Tripper PFD that had the little balls... One thing I noticed was that if the PFD iss immersed in water it absorba a large amount of water.

When you pick the PFD up, the water pours out of it very quickly - but not instantly and I guess it could weigh you down when you're trying to get out of the water back onto your ski.

Hi Everyone

I?m just picking up on this thread and will try to be as helpful and insightful without punting the Tripper brand. To begin with, a myth will be dispelled.

?I have had a Tripper for a few years. The major problem with the tripper is that the flotation consists of tiny foam beads in pockets that act like sponges. So when you remount you are carrying a few kg's of water with you (until it drains). This extra weight affects your ability to remount - try doing push-up and pull-ups with 2kg's extra on your back.?

The Tripper kayaking jacket comes with either foam or virgin polystyrene balls ? not beads. In the same way that ceramics cannot conduct electricity, the polystyrene balls cannot absorb water. With age, the polystyrene balls do lose some of their buoyancy but they will never absorb water. Tripper recommends jackets are serviced every two years, not only to check the bouyancy but also to check stitching, zipping etc. The fabric used to manufacture the jackets is Quantec which absorbs almost no water and is extremely durable. The drainage holes rapidly release any water that has seeped through the material.

Jackets made by Tripper will all float the standard 6kg testing weight. The Inflatable Sea Kayaking jacket will also float 6 kgs. The Tripper kayaking jackets come in both the foam and polystyrene ball variants. The polystyrene balls are extremely comfortable and mould easily to the body after a few strokes. The solid foam offers better protection in big rivers from rocks, trees and other craft.

The Tripper website will be up and running soon ? things really are happening on our side. It is a massive undertaking. All the Tripper products will also be available from our online store by the end of July.

To begin with, a myth will be dispelled.

?I have had a Tripper for a few years. The major problem with the tripper is that the flotation consists of tiny foam beads in pockets that act like sponges. So when you remount you are carrying a few kg's of water with you (until it drains). This extra weight affects your ability to remount - try doing push-up and pull-ups with 2kg's extra on your back.?

Hi Graham,

I stand by my comment above, I have owned foam ball Tripper for a few years and it is great in all aspects except for the fact that it is slow to drain. The pockets do act like sponges, I see this every time I rinse the jacket and hang it on the line. In fact I've stopped hanging it up immediately because I get soaked in the process, now I leave it on the dog house for a while to drain and then I hang it up.

I don't know if it is the balls or the material or the pocket or the spaces between that retain water but retain water it does.

It is a great jacket for river paddling but I must recommend a fast draining PFD for surfskiing (and in the interests of safety so should you and all retailers).

To support & amplify what Al is saying - the Tripper PFD is great, I used one for years - very comfortable - and warm which is great in Cape Town.

But a simple example is: take the PFD & dunk it in water (which I always do to rinse it off). Take it out of the water. Water pours out of it for about 5 seconds...

The thing is that the floatation beads don't absorb water - but the jacket fills with water in between the beads when you're in the water and it takes a few seconds for it to drain. Before it has gone, the water makes the jacket heavier. And those are the crucial few seconds when you're scrabbling about trying get back on the ski.

Hi Guys

I was trying just to address certain comments without directly promoting Tripper on a public forum.

The Tripper kayaking jackets all come in the solid foam option. It is up to the individual paddler to decide whether they want the solid foam option or the polystyrene balls.

We are going to do a weight test today and will post back to the forum with our findings.

To briefly address the concern of safety brought up, Tripper does have a specificall designed sea kayaking jacket. Once the Tripper website goes live, all the details will be easily available.

Regards
Graham Christensen