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anybody ever been knocked out with a comp vest?


Colby2ya

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Was wondering if anybody been knocked unconscious wakeboarding while using a comp vest? Thinking about switching to my comp vest while boarding,but was worried about being knocked out and not floating properly and drown! Just wanted to hear some experiences yall might have had..

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Never knocked out but had a hard fall (digger) and a slight concussion..I came up out of the water unable to catch my breathe and had to stuggle to get to my board, which came off, to float without treading water. It was a little scary so I now use a CGA vest that is very form fitted but floats me without any issues. I have no noticable difference in movement between the comp vest i was using and the CGA i use now

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Never knocked out but had a hard fall (digger) and a slight concussion..I came up out of the water unable to catch my breathe and had to stuggle to get to my board, which came off, to float without treading water. It was a little scary so I now use a CGA vest that is very form fitted but floats me without any issues. I have no noticable difference in movement between the comp vest i was using and the CGA i use now

Had the wind knocked out once while boarding and having the cga on was a blessing. I can feel your pain of gasping for air while treading.

for OP,

I remember reading story of a pro a few years back during a training session landed wrong and said he wasn't able to move his body for about half a minute. He was wearing comp vest and landed face down. Said he was coherent enough to realize he was in trouble and hold his breath in until the boat came back and flipped him over. Can't remember who that was or where I read the story.

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2 concussions perfecting the wake back roll (and their STILL not perfect!).

I wear a CG approved vest & a Protec Ace Wake helmet now. Since I started wearing them, I've seen stars a few times, but never blacked out again.

BTW, I have another vest I like to wear too. It's not USCG approved, but is Australian CG approved. It's made by Rubber Jungle & is made in a completely different way than anything I've ever used in the US. Their used by the show ski folks more than anything else.

Edited by Bill_AirJunky
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I have an eagle non CGA while I have not had a serious fall in it, I always wear my old CGA vest when trying new stuff. I wanted one and they are pretty sweet and comfy but I dont think their worth the risk of landing face down unconcious. I know 2 people that were face down unconsious with them on and luckily people in the boat were able to come to them before any more damage happened other than a concussion.

Something to remember is that you will float lower in the water. I slalom and wakeboard with it and the water level is just above my chin when sitting in the water (180 lbs). I think it comes down to if your willing to risk it in case of a hard fall and how comfortable you are in the water with less or no floatation.

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Wear a CGA vest! Murray was knocked out in a comp and did not float...luckily someone pulled him out in time. Chad Sharpe went down on a HS BS 5 and almost drowned too. There are dozens of other instances as well. PLUS most of these guys are riding with other pro-riders who can: identify a serious fall immediately, navigate a boat to them fairly quickly from the platform and are on private lakes with secondary video shooting boats, pwc's etc. which offer immediate response ability.

You can do this fun little test to check the buoyancy factor of your comp vest: put the vest on without having your board (worst case scenario). Exhale as long as you can as hard as you can and when you feel like you cannot push anymore air out hop in the water and see where you float. Last time I did this I was completely below the water in every comp vest I tried...which was about 8 of them. Even a CGA vest only floated me to the extent that my eyebrows were even with the waterline.

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QUICK STORY. Not just for wakeboarding.

I used to be the guy surfing with no vest at all. I grew up surfing in FL, and you dont use vests there in 10ft of water. So why behind a boat?? That was my rationale.

Till this year, Memorial Day Weekend. I WAS wearing a vest wakesurfing behind the 247. I took a weird fall to where the board sliced perfectly into the prop wash forward of me, straight toward the swim platform.... as i fell forward, the board still in front of me turned sideways/broudside and shot back at me, with a 6.0L 410hp worth of force behind it.

Imagine someone taking a small aluminum Tball ball and nailing you as hard as possible sideways across the chin, mouth, nose and cheek. WHAM.

Everything went black, cant see. Strong taste of metal in my mouth, bloodbath like in the movies. Very disoriented, feeling my head with my hands, cant tell where the blood is coming from. Still cant see for another minute.

Damage: entire mouth split open, upper and lower gum lines completely split to the bone. Front 2 upper teeth loose, both lips completely split open. nearly 90 days later and I still cant eat an apple.

Freak fall? Yes. But that object could just as easily been a log or other debris. For all these and all the other reasons. If they CAN find you with the comp vest, are they strong enough to pull you up into the boat as dead weight?

ALWAYS us a USCG vest when doing watersports.

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I was knocked out, unconscious, had to be pulled in the boat after a bad slalom wipeout. Ended with 35 stitches to the back o my head and a severe concussion for over a month. I was wearing a comp vest but unfortunately i dont remember much about it.

Cracked 3 ribs wakeboarding with my cga vest on, wouldnt have wanted my comp vest on. I wouldnt have been able to tread water if needed.

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well chad sharpe's accident occurred with him not wearing any vest at all while wakeboarding.. stupid

I wore a friends old o'brien team vest which was as thin as the jet-pilot A-10 vests, only this o'brien vest was USCG apporved.

here's a pic of what it looks like f_3115h_1.jpg

I do not understand why companies can't come up with a material that is less bulky and floats well with 3 closures to make a thin, non-restrictive but safe life vest

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I use a non CGA approved when surfing but wake boarding I bruised a rib last year and said I what more padding. So this is what I went with http://www.buywake.com/catalog/detail/2125656 Works great the only bad is hard to get out of so I just get out in the water then it is easy. The only reason I know I have it on is it barely rubs on my biceps because between my big chest and the thick padding in that one spot it rubs a little but not bad. If you look around I bet you will find a CGA approved vest that will work great they have came along ways in the past few years. When I look at my kids it is worth that little rubbing!!! Good luck.

Edited by Bradley Thornton
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I wear comp vests exclusively when competing and when freeriding. I've been out cold twice over the years and am still here to talk about it. Do what you are most comfortable with, but to each their own. My crew always uses safety waves. If someone crashes hard and doesn't wave to the boat afterwards I will be full throttle back to check on them.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

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I wear comp vests exclusively when competing and when freeriding. I've been out cold twice over the years and am still here to talk about it. Do what you are most comfortable with, but to each their own. My crew always uses safety waves. If someone crashes hard and doesn't wave to the boat afterwards I will be full throttle back to check on them.

This is great idea!

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

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jkendallmsce

I use a non CGA approved when surfing but wake boarding I bruised a rib last year and said I what more padding. So this is what I went with http://www.buywake.c.../2125656 Works great the only bad is hard to get out of so I just get out in the water then it is easy. The only reason I know I have it on is it barely rubs on my biceps because between my big chest and the thick padding in that one spot it rubs a little but not bad. If you look around I bet you will find a CGA approved vest that will work great they have came along ways in the past few years. When I look at my kids it is worth that little rubbing!!! Good luck.

The link said this item was no longer available. BUt anything that is comfortable will always be the vest of choice.

I have had the chili knocked outta me a few times....almost anyone who gets good at what ever, has to go thru those trials to get better, Water at about 60+ mph crossing the wake can be very unforgiving...just glad I am old enough to drop it down to 34, rather than 36 mph.

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After a number of recommendations and research I got the CGA O'Neill Reactor and I honestly do not notice it all while surfing. I was very tempted to get the non-approved as it really felt like it would hold me up, but without being able to do an in-water test I didn't take the risk. I will always wonder if it's even lighter, but I can't say I'm in the least disappointed with the CGA. The Ronix Capella was also highly recommended.

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I use a non CGA approved when surfing but wake boarding I bruised a rib last year and said I what more padding. So this is what I went with http://www.buywake.c.../2125656 Works great the only bad is hard to get out of so I just get out in the water then it is easy. The only reason I know I have it on is it barely rubs on my biceps because between my big chest and the thick padding in that one spot it rubs a little but not bad. If you look around I bet you will find a CGA approved vest that will work great they have came along ways in the past few years. When I look at my kids it is worth that little rubbing!!! Good luck.

http://www.buywake.com/catalog/detail/2125656

(fixed link)

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Blindside...Re: Chad...which time are you referring to? I know he has gotten it at least twice from the HS BS 5...unless I am mistaken. One before I visited the Wassie and one after I left...they bookended my stay with Todd.

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I wear comp vests exclusively when competing and when freeriding. I've been out cold twice over the years and am still here to talk about it. Do what you are most comfortable with, but to each their own. My crew always uses safety waves. If someone crashes hard and doesn't wave to the boat afterwards I will be full throttle back to check on them.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

this is exactly what we do. A buddy of mine recently took a fall and didn't give the wave, so we gunned it back to him and he had separated his shoulder. NO WAVE=POWER TURN!

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