Re: TRIPPER PFD, any alternatives?

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.

Hey Graham - no problem, you're offering information which is great. How about letting us do review on the PFDs? Both the solid block version and the special surf ski version (which I believe is inflatable?)

I'll be up in Durban on Thursday - hope to meet up with you!

(Tripper also make an awesome range of ski-bags, one of which will be protecting my carbon ski on the trailer leaving Cape Town today!)

Cheers, Rob

Hi Rob and other forum readers

We will still do the weight test and post to this forum. As far as the sending of jackets for testing is concerned, we will do this once our website is up and running with all the features and benefits of the various jackets listed. This would then allow our claims to be refuted or confirmed. All Tripper kayaking jackets conform to CSA regulations and will float the mandatory 6kg dead weight.

Be sure to check out www.trippersports.com as we will be adding to the website on a daily basis as we load all our products.

Regards
Graham Christensen

Graham, Any follow up (post 4 months) to the results of yr tests?

Hi Everybody

The long awaited weight tests of the Tripper kayaking jackets have been done. The jacket that causes the most talk is our polystyrene ball jacket. The weight of the polystyrene ball jacket is 0,60 kgs when dry and 1,25 kgs when wet.

What we did in the testing process was to wet (and submerge) the jacket in a basin and then allow 2 seconds for the immediate runoff before placing in a bucket (weight accounted for). The theory here is that we want to weigh what is "in" the jacket and not the immediate runoff from the outside of the jacket.

I want to emphasize again that this polystyrene jacket is not one that we actively market to surf ski paddlers. It can be safely used for surf ski, but is not specifically designed for it. We do have a surf jacket and we also offer the same style jacket as the polystyrene ball jacket in foam.

The foam version of the polystyrene jacket weighs 0,80 kgs when dry and 1,20 kgs when wet. Our orange surf ski jacket weighs 0,85 kgs when dry and 1,25 kgs when wet.

It is interesting to note that the jackets all weigh almost exactly the same when wet, although the weight when dry differs quite significantly. The polystyrene ball jacket does indeed pick up the most weight when made wet - not surprisingly. We were pleasantly surprised with the results because we don't believe that 1,25 kgs is unacceptably heavy when fully drenched.

From a visual perspective all the jackets drain rapidly and after a few more seconds the weight comes down even more. The testing could go on forever: 3 second, 4 seconds, 10 seconds.... So we just left it at two seconds and were quite satisfied with the results.

I hope that this answers some of the questions. I?m sure my methods of testing and results will be challenged but I think we did a pretty good job!

Hi Graham, excellent on the test results and thanks for taking the time to do the tests. Point taken that the polystyrene ball jacket although very comfortable is not marketed for surfski paddlers.

I would be very interested in the weight immediately after removal from the water, in other words what jacket carries the least water out of the water - because that is the weight you have to lift. The test would be to remove the jacket from one bucket and place it immediately in another and the weigh the second bucket less the jacket and bucket weight.

I still use my somewhat faded but solid Tripper polystyrene ball jacket and I rate it highly for comfort and quality. For rivers and gentle paddling it is perfect, for heavy seas I think you need a rapid draining jacket.

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.

Hows the Mocke PFD holding up after 8 months?

And

does anyone know how to get Dawid's pfd?

I have tried personal mailing him through surfski info and looked up his shop's web site but can't figure how to email him.

Love to know if you can get this pfd in Oz or if postage from SA is possible.

cheers

james

James,

Try Quiver Outdoor Gear!

Contact details:

UNIT E10, PRIME PARK
MOCKE ROAD
DIEP RIVER
7800
TEL: (021) 705 0695
FAX: (021) 705 0499

www.getwet.org.za