Gear Locker: Kokatat SeaO2 Hybrid

April-May 2006

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: > DOWNLOAD

by Alex Matthews

Alex lounging on the ultimate waterbed in drysuit and inflatable hybrid PFD.

Kokatat’s new SeaO2 PFD is a unique product. In fact, Kokatat is quick to point out that it’s the first UL (US Coastguard) approved, hybrid inflatable life vest designed for paddlesports. Unfortunately it is not yet Canadian Coast Guard / DOT approved.

So what exactly is a ‘hybrid inflatable’ life vest? It’s a PFD that incorporates the standard floatation foam that we’ve come to expect in PFDs, with an additional inflatable bladder hidden within the body of the vest. Only a small amount of the traditional floatation foam is used in the SeaO2, so it’s less bulky, but also provides far less floatation than a more traditional lifejacket. That all changes, though, when you pull the ‘jerk to inflate’ ripcord mounted on the front of the vest. The ripcord fires a CO2 cartridge (hence the clever name of the vest) that immediately inflates the hidden floatation bladder, so the inherent 7.5 lbs of buoyancy becomes a whopping 22.5 lbs!

An oral inflate/deflate tube is mounted on the front of the vest within easy reach of your mouth. This allows you to adjust the amount of floatation, by either blowing into the tube to inflate the unit, or purging air from the system for less floatation. The floatation chamber can be inflated, deflated and re-armed without removing the life vest, although threading a new CO2 cartridge onto the firing mechanism isn’t something you’re likely to do while in the water. Two 16 gram CO2 cylinders and two indicator pins are included with the PFD. Additional kits are sold separately.

The SeaO2 jacket’s side-zip design places the vertical zipper within easy reach, and makes donning or removing the vest a simple maneuver. The jacket has two pockets on the front—one large zippered stretch-mesh unit, perfect for stashing a wooly hat and a couple of energy bars; the other a vertical stretch-mesh pocket equipped with a buckle closure, sized to accommodate a VHF radio. Multiple strips of 3M™ reflective tape are incorporated onto both the back and front of the vest for increased visibility. Six side adjustments cinch the vest tight, and the open mesh back of the jacket accommodates the high seatbacks found in many kayaks.

In use, the SeaO2 is unobtrusive when not inflated. Sizing seems to run a little smaller than usual so, as always, be sure to ‘try before you buy’ in order to insure the best fit. Swimming with the SeaO2 revealed that the vest has plenty of floatation for me, even when not inflated, and it’s easy to further increase buoyancy by blowing a couple of breaths into the oral inflation tube. In fact, I’m hard pressed to think of a time when I would ever reach for the ripcord. Fully inflated, the SeaO2 is huge—think Dolly Parton big—so it makes climbing onto the deck of a kayak difficult.

But what’s so cool about this vest is that you have a low-profile/low-buoyancy vest you can top up with air to suit the your body size.

So will I be replacing my traditional foam-filled vest with the SeaO2? Ultimately, the added complexity and cost of a hybrid-inflatable gives me pause. There is also the possibility of a puncture or seal malfunction that could compromise its ability to inflate. And I still feel that some foam-filled PFDs (like Kokatat’s own excellent Orbit model) give me better overall mobility. However, the SeaO2 is definitely the first of a new breed of PFD that promises a lot of versatility, and an amazing amount of floatation for minimal bulk. It’s an innovative reinvention of the paddlesports life jacket and definitely worth checking out.

UL (US) Approved. NOT ULC (Canadian Coast Guard / DOT) approved

Buoyancy: 7.5 lbs. (22.5 lbs. inflated)

Sizes: S/M, L/XL

Colors: Cobalt, Mango, Orange

US Suggested Retail Price: $174

Kokatat Watersports Wear

5350 Ericson Way

Arcata, CA 95521

Tel: 800-225-9749 or 707-822-7621