Mustang Survival MIT 70 Automatic/Manual Inflatable Life Vest, Blue

The Mustang Survival MIT 70 is an automatic and manual inflatable life vest built for boaters who'll actually wear a PFD all day. It's a Type V inflatable, which means it stays flat and low-profile on your shoulders until you need it, then inflates to a full 15.7 pounds of buoyancy the moment you go in the water. No bulky foam. Just a comfortable harness you forget you're wearing until it counts.

Here's how the inflation works. The automatic inflator fires on immersion, so if you get knocked overboard and can't help yourself, the vest inflates on its own. There's also a manual pull handle if you'd rather inflate it yourself, and an oral tube for topping off or as a backup. That dual automatic and manual setup is why this one carries the Type V rating for adults.

Fit is adult universal, sized for chest measurements from 30 to 52 inches. That covers most grown boaters, but the trade-off with a universal vest is you'll want to snug the straps down properly, especially on a smaller frame. A loose inflatable can ride up when it fires, so take a minute on the dock to get the buckle and strap set right. Once it's dialed in, it just disappears under a jacket or over a t-shirt.

About that 15.7 pounds of buoyancy. For an adult inflatable that's right in the Type V range, and it's plenty to keep an average adult's head and airway clear of the water. Worth knowing though, if you're layered up in heavy foul-weather gear that flotation feels a little less generous, since wet gear adds weight and drag. For most day boating, fishing, and coastal cruising it's the right amount of lift in a package that stays out of your way.

The low-profile design is the reason people reach for a vest like this instead of a foam one. Uninflated, it sits slim across your shoulders and chest, so it doesn't fight you when you're leaning over the gunwale, working a downrigger, or trimming a sail. It breathes better in summer heat too. A lot of the value of an inflatable is simply that you'll keep it on, and a vest you keep on beats a foam one that lives in the cabin.

The shell is high-tenacity nylon in blue, and it's harmonized U.S. Coast Guard and Transport Canada approved. That harmonized approval is handy if you cross into Canadian waters, though remember a Type V only counts as an approved PFD when you're actually wearing it. Leave it stuffed in a locker and it doesn't satisfy carriage rules. That's the deal with every inflatable, so wear it.

Who's this for? Anglers who spend long days casting and hate the heat of a foam vest. Cruisers and day-sailors who want protection without bulk. Anyone running a center console or a small sailboat where you're moving around and a traditional life jacket gets in the way. It's a wear-all-day vest, and that's the whole point. The PFD that saves you is the one you've actually got on.

A word on upkeep, because inflatables need a little more attention than foam. Rinse the vest with fresh water after saltwater trips. The CO2 cylinder and inflator hardware can corrode if you let salt sit on them, so a quick freshwater rinse goes a long way. Check that the cylinder is threaded tight and the inflator's status indicator reads green before each season. And once the vest fires, whether automatically or by the manual pull, you'll need to rearm it with a fresh CO2 cylinder and, for the auto model, a new bobbin. Rearm kits are sold separately, so it's worth keeping a spare aboard.

It ships as a single vest with the buckle and strap closure. This is a wearable, not a throwable, so plan your onboard PFD count accordingly.