Stohlquist Fisherman Lifejacket (PFD)

Let me preface this with... I love this thing... So we probably all run around with a wally world vest, or local sporting good store offering for a while thinking it's fine. I just pretty quickly grew tired of getting hit in the neck with blocks of foam. I had a sport PFD for a bit, which was neoprene and fit snug and didn't move at all and was nice but, I was getting into kayak fishing and thought I would be able to use a few pockets on me. I didn't want to load up on a bunch of crap like I see some people... I mean jeez guys, it is supposed to float in case you go over not strap 2 days of gear onto while holding your beer. I tried a few on, all the big names. I did also like the big orange OS vest from that 3 letter word company. But honestly this one felt reaaaaally good. The way the thing cinched down just kept it from moving at all on me. Plus I'm a pretty beefy. 5'10 225. 46" chest. 36" waist. I got the L/XL and it fits just fine even with a breakfast burrito in the gut. I have room for a couple of shirts or thin 3mm (what I had to test) wetsuit underneath. The pockets hold my Pixel 4XL, albeit barely, with it's chunky case on. A pair of pliers, tackle scissors, bunch of little bits and bobs in the mesh internal pockets, a rape whistle, a plano 2 sided mini-box, tigers milk... These pockets are hardened, so it protects the stuff inside and makes sliding over them easier. Outside just a light and one of my moras. Lots of room for more, but I am not big on looking like a Christmas Tree. Plus it gets harder to get back in the yak with all the stuff dangling. 500D Cordura baby! The only PFD I could find that wasn't disposable. Seriously how many people I ran into that had 1 or 2 year old vest with holes in them... man get out of here with that nonsense. You think I'm gonna drop a bill and a half for trendy fashion gear on the water? Move along... I want safety gear that is purpose built and is going to last. Comfort, okay I already said I love it and that it doesn't ride up. But geez you really don't know it is on. You can paddle all day and not even feel it anywhere on your body. Forward, Reverse, or Draw, it all feels smooth the vest doesn't move or encumber you in any way. I only had to adjust a couple of times, and this was because I was crawling around to reach my ice chest lol and even then, just barely more of a twist than anything. Supposedly the foam in this will mold to my body over time, I can't imagine this becoming more comfortable over time, I am already feeling spoiled by it. Negative, probably the only thing I can say, I don't like adjusting straps all the time so I leave them pretty well adjusted to where I had them last. This makes it a bit more difficult to "zip" on than others that have the belly buckle before you zip. So I have to squeeze my arms together while trying to zip up to sort of pinch the sides of the vest together to get some slack. Now obviously this could be avoided if I wasn't a lazy SOB. But I mention it because I am pretty sure 90% of the world will do the same thing. The flip side is, this is more comfy than having a belly buckle pinching into you all day... So if you are on the fence, looking at all the PFD's out there and don't know which ones to get, are worried about function and comfort over which ones your friends will like more. GET THIS ONE and be done wasting time. CB

The perfect PFD for bigger guys. For reference I am 6'3 270 and this PFD has adjustments to fit someone much bigger than I am while still being able to snug it down and staying comfy. I compared this directly with the Chinook and this was better in every way. The chest adjustments really let you fine tune this to fit you correctly. The front hard pockets are such a great feature and make sturdy trays which are very helpful when out on the kayak. The high back pad is perfect for sit on top kayaks. The pad also contorts to your upper back and doesn't stick out like a back horn. Which was an issue I had with the Chinook. It is always hard finding stuff like this for the big boys but they knocked this out the park.

Get what you pay for - you only have one life This PFD is an investment in my life

Very adjustable if you have a bit of a belly,was hoping the pockets would be a little bigger but you can still put pliers,knives and smaller supplies in them.the high back is perfect for in the kayak.seems very well built

For your information, I'm 5'9" and around 160lb, bought a L/XL and it perfectly fits me. As it has a lot of adjustable parts, it will also fit people much bigger than I am. Before using this, I used to wear a PFD with a fully padded back and it was really annoying because the backrest of the chair on my kayak kept pushing my PFD upward while I was paddling or fishing on it. But with the arrival of this one, all my pain disappeared. After paddling 7-8 miles and spending a few hours fishing, I felt really comfortable, the PFD wasn't going anywhere, and there was no issue. Do not buy a cheap one and come back and buy this one as I did, but just buy a good one at once to save your money and time. I highly recommend this one and I don't think it would be waste of money.

Really impressed with the comfort and fit of this vest. Very breathable and I did not notice any hot spots from wearing it. Once adjusted, it does not tend to move around too much when paddling. Lots of storage in the pockets and loops. I only wish the pockets were a tad larger to fit my Samsung Note, but it should fit all the smaller smart phones.

I took advantage of Amazon's return policy and purchased and tried all the top brands. This vest was the most comfortable with the best features for my needs. I Kayak on a small lake and some day trips and the big storage pockets are very helpful. If the pockets could be designed to be waterproof, it would be even better.

Update 11/2024: Still awesome, and not hot during the Summer. I didn't believe the other reviews about how comfortable this life jacket is, but I had already tried several of the other high end kayak-specific models from the other makers at my local kayak shop. I just wasn't in love with any of them. I decided to take a chance on this one, and the comfort level makes me forget about not only the price tag, but also that I'm even wearing it while paddling and fishing. I will have to see how thing go when it gets hot outside, but so far, so good. Mobility is top-notch,and the materials seem to be high-quality. It also holds a river knife quite well on the accessory square near the shoulder. I'm even packing a gut and man boobs and have no issues with discomfort. All in all, I've got no complaints and would recommend.