Russ Smith

As I mentioned in another thread a local fishermen drowned last week at my favorite lake because he wasn't wearing a lifejacket. I'm going to be buying a auto inflating PFD(sospenders is the name most call them) that uses a Co2 cartridge to inflate the jacket as soon as you fall in the water. They're really lightweight, paper thin, you wear them all the time over the clothes. The beauty is if you get knocked out and fall in the water, it inflates and rolls you on your back.

Since I'm going to Loreto end of July on a fishing trip my dad and I wanted to bring our sospenders along(the boats there generally have lifejackets but not good ones and not easy to get at if it gets dicey quickly). I mentioned it on a board I'm on and everyone started saying you can't take them on an airplane.

I did some research and sure enough, all kinds of conflicting information, TSA says you can, if the airlien approves it. Some do, some don't, some won't even tell you for sure they take it "case by case." Alaska says they allow it, and TSA allows it, but they can't guarantee the vest won't be siezed in Mexico on the way back before you board the plane because their security might not allow it.

While I understand the concern of a Co2 cartridge being on a plane, apparently nobody ever bothered to look under the seat of the plane? Every plane I've ever flown has a life preserver under the seat, you put it on, pull the cord and it INFLATES, because it has TWO Co2 cartridges!

At this point I'm probably going to put mine in my checked baggage and take my chances.

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