Offshore Gear Review
Disclaimer: We are not providing anyone with formal guidance regarding what personal safety equipment you buy or wear. Individual safety needs vary from rider to rider and different body-types. Racing and riding watercraft involves risk and you can die or get seriously hurt regardless of what safety gear you wear. We are not experts, professionals or certified safety experts and we could be wrong in the choices we make regarding safety gear. Do your own research and make your own decisions regarding what safety equipment you wear to mitigate your own personal risk while on the water. Consult with the US Coast Guard regarding water safety and protective gear prior to riding or racing watercraft / Jet Skis in the ocean.
Lifeline Jackets Comp Jacket arrived today, 2/2/2011
As seasoned offshore racers, we see the need to emphasize the importance of proper preperation and wearing and having all of the appropriate safety gear while on the water. With PWC/Jet Ski offshore racing craft reaching top speeds in excess of 80 mph in 2010, 90 mph PROAM craft will be commonplace within the next three to five years.
Keep in mind that we are referring to top speeds here, the average speed of the LB2CAT winner a few years ago on a PROAM craft was actually 60 mph. Some craft are capable of 80 plus mph now, but the reality is that those speeds are rarely attained due to hookup reasons. There could and likely are a few spots that these 80 mph craft actually achieve those speeds. Some of the top pro racers don't average (average) 60 mph in the race. The average speeds and ability to hit top speeds in Supercourse Races are higher, the races usually take place on lakes where the water is flatter and top speeds are more easily achieved.
Regardless we see a need to augment the protection in the kit of our offshore racers. Most Jet Ski / PWC life jackets are designed for lakes and lower speeds. Clearly the gear most offshore racers are wearing is not appropriate for the application.
It should be noted that if you come off your PWC or any boat the wrong way at any significant speed, 
you can die or be seriously hurt regardless of what gear you’re wearing. This is about risk mitigation vs. risk elimination. Anyone that thinks they can eliminate risk in offshore Jet Ski / PWC racing is not being realistic. We ride and race at high speeds, the water can be like concrete and things happen out there, people get hurt. It is not a question of if you will come off your craft; it is a question of when you come of your craft. It is up to all of us including you to evaluate and find ways to mitigate our own personal risk as responsibly as possible and share best practices. Also keep in mind that many will tell you its more dangerous to hop on the 405 freeway in Los Angeles than get on a PWC!
Looking for viable options, my research started with the Offshore Boat Racing and Cracker Box boat racing niche. I did so because these jackets are designed for significantly higher speeds and much higher impacts than conventio
nal PWC / Jet Ski life jackets. It’s a challenge to find a complete cross over between boat racing and PWC racing. I looked at a few options and decided to work with the LifeLine Jackets rep of LifeLine Jackets to create a jacket that would fit my needs. After a number of conversations, the only significant changes we made to a standard Comp Boat Jacket was 1) Sweeping the collar back a little bit to allow for a “linebacker-like” modified standing position of offshore racers and 2) A few pockets to store my SPOT Satellite tracking device and Marine Radio.
*Liffeline is not a sponsor of mine nor did I get price relief that I am aware of – I paid full price – with the Comp Jacket and the collar, my cost was 585.00 total.
Initial out of the box impressions of the jacket:
1. Exceptionally well made compared to standard 90.00 PWC jackets, I was very impressed.
2. There appears to be a few layers to the internals, the outer layer of the internal material appears to be a light armor like material (I don’t know what it is made of)
3. As a former Marine, I was accustomed to wearing flak jackets back in the day. This reminded 
me of a very light, very thin set of armor (relatively speaking, compared to real military armor)
4. The neck wrap around collar is much softer than the Cart racing collar that I was wearing. I am told by boat racers that this is a good thing. We shall see.
5. There is no comparison in the build quality between this coat and a standard Jet Ski like life jacket. It is in an entirely different league.
6. I haven’t ridden with it yet, I will provide more feedback shortly.
Process for ordering:
1. You take and scribe your measurements on a form and submit the form via a form to LifeLine Jackets
2. Lifeline consulted with me via phone to validate measurements
3. They custom build the jacket to your measurement specs and can accommodate most unique requirements you might have.
4. It took approximately two weeks from submission of the form to receiving the jacket.
Their contact information:
2. (928) 669-9241
3. Location: Parker, Az
Questions we've received:
1. Is this LifeLine Jacket a Coast Guard Approved (USCG Approved). Answer is no but read the Coast Guard letter regarding the exemption for APBA members: CLICK HERE Also review the Boating Safety Circular 80, page 6 regarding life jacket speed ratings CLICK HERE
2. What is the speed rating on this jacket? Unknown. I don't belive Lifeline provides a speed rating on this Jacket.
Update: Took a significant chest blow from the handlebars during the 2011 rough water Dana Point to Oceanside Race, the vest did a great job of absorbing the blow. I was impressed.
Check out the USCG site regarding PFD Selection, CLICK HERE
Disclaimer: We are not providing anyone with formal guidance regarding what personal safety equipment you buy or wear. Individual safety needs vary from rider to rider and different body-types. Racing and riding watercraft involves risk and you can die or get seriously hurt regardless of what safety gear you wear. We are not experts, professionals or certified safety experts and we could be wrong in the choices we make regarding safety gear. Do your own research and make your own decisions regarding what safety equipment you wear to mitigate your own personal risk while on the water. Consult with the US Coast Guard regarding water safety and protective gear prior to riding or racing watercraft / Jet Skis in the ocean.
If you ride in the ocean, we highly encourage you to get a satellite tracking safety device like a SPOT 2 - I own one. They are approximately 149.99 plus a 100.00 annual subscription. It is our opinion that this is one of those critical items that all serious offshore riders and racers should consider owning. Highly recommended.
A good low cost alternative in the low to mid 100 dollar range (150 give or take). I am told that the "H" model has a more sensitive satellite receptor that is significantly more accurate than the previous model. Black and white screen. Large screen that is easy to see. Large direction pointer that I like. No mapping function. You input your lat and long vs clicking on a map location. Runs on standard batteries.
Force 6 Instructor Vest
Approximately 300.00. Appears to be built primarily as a swift water rescue vest. Significant padding can result in heat while riding, but that could also keep you warm when you come off. It could also provide padding if you come off or hit the craft. There does not appear to be any armor like material. I like the front storage bag with heavy duty zipper. The front storage bag was a great place for me store a radio and SPOT2. I like the large belt like locking device that keeps the vest secure. Like the reflectors. If you are considering a standard "jet Ski" like vest for offshore riding as so many do (i.e. 80.00/ 90.00 vest), this Mustang vest is a quantum leap forward. There is no comparison in the quality of this vest vs. the standard 80 / 90.00 Jet Ski vests on the market. Ensure it fits based on the manufacture's recommendations.
3 mil Neoprene Gloves:
If you are riding in cold weather, neoprene gloves are a necessity. Cold, numbing hands can present safety issues while underway so it is critical that you take all precautions to keep your hands, feet and head warm. These are 3 mil dive gloves that can purchase at most sports stores or dive shots. Cost is between 20.00 and 35.00 US. Some have said that the palm material on these gloves have less grip than PWC race gloves so do your own testing in terms of your handlebar grips and how they grip with these gloves. If you lose grip, evaluate other neoprene gloves. Gloves like this should be considered as part of your kit.
Full Face Road Helmet With Fold Down Visor Review:
Having ridden road bikes for a number of years, I decided to test a full face street helmet with full face shield for offshore PWC riding and racing. I did so for a number of reasons, most of which revolved around the reduced forward silhouette of the full face street helmet vs the standard motocross racing helmets and possibly reducing the bucketing effect if you came off the craft at speed with the lower profile street helmet vs. the motocross helmet. Bucketing is always a concern of mine with a helmet in the water at high speeds.
I always found that the street helmets with a fold down visor were more comfortable and involved a quieter ride. True to point, I did find that the full face street helmet was quieter on the water (especially with an after market exhaust, I liked it), so much so that I sometimes had a difficult time communicating with my riding partners during stops. I was told that the street helmet would fog while underway on the water. I left one notch up on the visor of the full face helmet while underway to allow for airflow, I never fogged and realized greater vision than what I have with a motocross helmet and goggles. The full face street helmet also allowed me to have greater continuity with the Lifeline neck role I wear. Bottom line is that I found the full face street helmet to be more comfortable.
That said, the downside is that I am told that 1) The full face street helmet is not approved by the APBA or IJSBA for PWC races. 2) I am told that contrary to the motocross helmet with a visor, that the visor on the full face street helmet will not want to come off when you hit the water - the visor could possibly come up and could be less likely to come off therefore acting as a wing resulting in a greater possibility of potential neck injuries vs. the motocross helmet that has a visor that will likely come off (not guaranteed) and not act as a wing (Note to reader, I always remove the visor on my motocross helmet when I ride offshore and recommend removal of the visor, I do not want anything that even remotely resembles a wing on my helmet when riding or racing. Also note that ANY full face helmet could present bucketing issues resulting in neck injuries. It is all relative and involves weighing the pros and cons as it pertains to risk). 3) I was also told by a relatively knowledgeable racer that if you were to come off the craft with the full face helmet and should you go unconscious, the visor could possibly close resulting in water being contained in the helmet and a possible drowning situation.
So net-net, although the full face street helmet is more comfortable and presents less of a forward silhouette, after weighing the pros and cons I will shelf the full face street helmet with the face shield and stay with the motocross helmet when riding and racing offshore. And, I will continue to do so without the visor. If you wear any full face helmet (including a full face motocross helmet), bucketing presents an issue in the water and presents potential risk of a neck injury. Again, its about pros and cons and weighing the risks out for yourself.
Update: Regarding why the IJSBA and APBA have not allowed full face face shields. They have never been allowed because if a racer was to be in an accident and was he/she to go unconscious and your helmet could fill up with water, you could drown due to the full face helmet with shield not allowing the water to
drain.
Disclaimer: We are not providing anyone with formal guidance regarding what personal safety equipment you buy or wear. Individual safety needs vary from rider to rider and different body-types. Racing and riding watercraft involves risk and you can die or get seriously hurt regardless of what safety gear you wear. We are not experts, professionals or certified safety experts and we could be wrong in the choices we make regarding safety gear. Do your own research and make your own decisions regarding what safety equipment you wear to mitigate your own personal risk while on the water. Consult with the US Coast Guard regarding water safety and protective gear prior to riding or racing watercraft / Jet Skis in the ocean.