Mustang has long been a leader in marine safety gear and inflatable personal flotation deveices so it is news when the company comes out with a radical news design for a quality new model.
The Mustang E38 is an over-the-head pull-on PFD that has a much smaller profile than existing models and is designed specifically to make working on deck less encumbered than when wearing an around-the-neck PFD.
The vest-style design has a spay hood tucked into the back and the inflatable mechanism on the wearer’s chest. The vest has a hydrostatic inflator that responds to water pressure instead of just moisture from spar or rain. This will eliminate the problem of crew on the weather rail or working on the foredeck suddenly having their vest inflate at an awkward moment.
But when the vest does inflate when a crew enters the water, the hood also deploys to protect his or her head from spray, which can cause drowning.
The E38, which is equipped with crotch straps, has pockets for a personal locator beacon, a strobe light and even a waterproof VHF radio. It has a front loop for attaching a tether and a lifting loop on the back to help hoist a MOB back on deck.
If yo are looking to buy a new inflatable PFD or are planning to be making offshore passages, the new Mustang Survival E38 should be at the top of your list. Read more.
