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Full On PFD by Hydroscapes

Full-On PFD Hydroscapes set themselves no easy task: to create the safest PFD on the market. PLAYAK.COM tested the vest for you.

Introduction

Hydroscapes River Gear is a small company based in Victoria, B.C. that designs and creates whitewater river gear for the adventurous soul.

Kev England, owner and founder of Hydroscapes river gear has been kayaking since his was 10 years old. At age 15 he was already running class 5 white water. Over the years he gained a lot of experience on the creeks and rivers of Scotland and Norway. Since 1995 Kev has been visiting Canada's remote and deep canyons where he realized that he needed better safety gear than he could buy.

Philosophy

Hydroscapes decided to create the safest rescue vest available. They spent years talking about new concepts of PFD's and getting ideas from their paddling friends for a best vest: using it in the water, escaping from that water and climbing around it. And so Kev started making drawings and actual PFD designs. At that time Kev and his girlfriend Dianne Noseworthy lived in Newfoundland, where they explored the unique rivers and tested the first prototypes. In the summer of 2002 they tested it on their Trans-Canada trip. After arriving in BC they started to manufacture the PFD and called it the Full On.

Impressions

Our first impression of the vest was good. It looks very sturdy. The bright color and the reflectors on the shoulder straps make the vest very visible. Although we were afraid of it being a little bit bulky, we were surprised how comfortable it was when we tried it on the first time. The removable rib protectors needed some time to get soft though (like a good pair of hiking boots!).

Picture above: The removable rib protectors

The vest is loaded with useful features. There is a mount for a river knife, a small pocket to stow small stuff and the cow tail is included. Overall, the vest is handcrafted with very sturdy materials.

Another useful feauture is that it won't slip over your head when tension is applied to the shoulder straps. If a rescuer pulls on the shoulder straps they will transfer all of the tension onto the waistband and tighten it. This is because the shoulder straps and the waistband are directly attached to each other. The leg loops are another feature on this vest that can come in handy while scouting, rescuing or climbing out of a canyon. The massive two-part buckles ensure fast and easy use. The leg loops can easily be stored in the Velcro pouches when not in use. While creeking you are often exposed to rocks. The Full On vest protects your ribs, upper spine and the backs of your shoulders by using a material called HDPE armour, which was originally designed for mountain biking.

Sizes and flotation

Conclusion

Designing a vest which is excellent for creeking, great for playboating and sweet for rafting is a big challenge. Hydroscapes managed to give the Full-On lots of safety features that are effective and easy to use. However we found that the adjustment of the shoulder straps is awkward because the buckles are on the back and the release of the chest harness could be a little bit difficult in tricky situations. Apart from these details Hydroscapes did a great job on their first product although for playboaters it will not be their first choice. We're looking forward to see future projects of innovative gear from Hydroscapes.

Availability

Hydroscapes products are sold direct from the manufacturer, and are not available in stores. Please contact Hydroscapes through their web site for more information. The price for the Full-On vest: $350.00

Hydroscapes

Hokitika
New Zealand

Phone: +64 (0)3 755 7669

· Show brand details.
· Show all Hydroscapes products.

This independent PLAYAK review was written by Tobias Rotach & Beat Ruettimann and edited by joempie.

See full product details in the Playak Buyers Guide

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