Gear Up for Boating Season

Spring is just around the corner, waiting to beckon us to the sea with all the gear we need on our boats for fun, frolic and, of course, safety.   Auto-Inflatable PFDs In order to ensure the safety of crew and passengers, we need to equip our boats with personal flotation devices (PFDs). You can get away with a stack of Type II orange PFDs for day sailing in and around your local harbor, but if you venture any farther, you need to invest in a set of inflatable PFDs, preferably auto-inflatable, offering the greatest chance of survival for all passengers and crew for several hours. Mustang Survival USA, one of the most revered names in nautical safety, offers an array of PFDs, wet weather apparel and dry suits for both professional and cruising sailors. The Mustang MD3188 Inflatable Work Vest incorporates Hammar Hydrostatic Inflator Technology (HIT), which triggers a CO2 cartridge to fill the internal bladder, or inflation cell, automatically when the HIT system senses four inches of water depth. The Arcus 40 PFD provides 40 pounds of buoyancy, roughly twice the buoyancy of an adult-size, throwable foam PFD. This PFD can fit a chest size of 30 to 56 inches, which should...