This is another part of my latest series of reviews. Several people have asked me about my gear and why I chose what I did. Being a convert from whitewater boating, I started completely new with kayak fishing, so pretty much all of my gear other than my rods and tackle are brand new (I have fished in a bass boat for many years). I did countless hours of research to make sure I was getting the best deal and the best product for my money. I didn't go with the highest end gear for everything, simply because it's not necessary for me. The products I did pick though were what I deemed the best bang for my buck, and none of them have let me down so far.
As far as my PFD goes, I knew it would be difficult to find another pfd (life jacket) as comfortable as my old Lotus Lola, which my wife now uses. As mentioned before, I did quite a bit of research, mostly looking through reviews and message boards. The product that seemed to stand out the most for my specific application of kayak fishing, appeared to be the Astral Ronny, so I bought one to try out. I was not disappointed.
This is by far the most comfortable PFD that I've ever had the pleasure of wearing. It's completely adjustable from the shoulder straps to the side straps. The back panel of foam is only 1/2" thick, so it's extremely comfortable when leaning against a full backrest such as the one on my Ride 135. There's no big chunk or wad of foam making you feel awkward or uncomfortable, which is a very welcome change. The back panel also has a small vent in it to keep the air flowing a bit better. I'm not sure how much it really helps, but it looks cool and I feel cool, so that's pretty much all that matters to me.
The Ronny has one front pocket made out of mesh that I use to hold my Gerber EZ-Out knife and glasses strap. It's not a very big pocket, but would at least fit a cell phone in a waterproof case or similar.
Overall, I am very impressed with this PFD and will certainly keep on using it for quite a while. While I am satisfied with this PFD, especially for the price it typically goes for, there are a few things that I would like to see either changed on this model or possibly for a future creation. I'd like to see thicker fabric such as 400 or 500D nylon. The nylon on the current Ronny seems tough enough as-is, and it dries out super quick, but I'd just like to have a tad tougher material. I'd also like to see another pocket or two on the front for additional gear. This is where if they did take that into consideration, it might be for a completely new model made specifically for fishing, but still keep the 1/2" thick back panel. That's pretty much it! As I mentioned before, I'm very happy and look forward to using this PFD for many seasons to come.
Check out the video below for a quick look and basic overview. Comment with any questions, thanks!
No comments:
Post a Comment