Onyx Marsh Camo Throwable Foam Cushion, USCG Type IV

The Onyx Marsh Camo Throwable Foam Cushion is a Type IV flotation device, the kind you keep within arm's reach and throw to someone in the water. It's U.S. Coast Guard certified, so it counts toward the throwable device most boats are required to carry. And the marsh camo pattern makes it a natural fit for jon boats, duck skiffs, and anything running the shallows.

Here's the thing about a Type IV. It isn't a life jacket you wear. It's a grab-and-throw device meant to buy time. Someone goes over the side, you snatch this off the deck and heave it to them, and they hold on until you can bring the boat around. That's why the Coast Guard wants boats 16 feet and longer to carry one that's immediately accessible. Not buried in a locker. Not strapped down under the console. Loose, in reach, ready to go.

The build is straightforward and that's the point. A heavy-duty ripstop cover wraps a lightweight PVC foam core. The foam does the floating, the ripstop shell takes the abuse of getting tossed around a wet deck season after season. Grab straps on the cushion give a swimmer something to hold and give you something to hang onto when you're pulling it back aboard.

What's in the marsh camo? A muted brown and green pattern built for wetland cover. If you're poling a marsh skiff at first light or tucked into the reeds waiting on ducks, the last thing you want is a blaze-colored cushion announcing your spot. This one blends. It still reads as a flotation cushion up close, it just doesn't broadcast across the marsh. This listing is for a single cushion, so if your boat's rated for more passengers or you want a spare at the helm and one at the stern, order the count you need.

Who's this for? Anybody who needs to satisfy the throwable requirement without spending a lot. Bass boats, center consoles in the 14 to 18 foot range, pontoons, aluminum fishing rigs. The camo look earns it a spot on hunting skiffs where a bright cushion would stick out, though if visibility matters most to you, that's worth weighing. On a bass boat, a lot of folks run a bungee across it so it doesn't slide into the livewell on hard turns, then pull it free the second it's needed.

Using it is as simple as it sounds, but a little practice helps. When someone's in the water, keep your eyes on them and throw the cushion so it lands close, not on top of them. Underhand tosses tend to be more accurate than a big overhand heave. Once they've got a hand on it, they can hug it to their chest or slip an arm through a strap while you maneuver. If the person's tired or the water's rough, having them hold the cushion rather than trying to climb onto it keeps them calmer and higher in the water.

A few honest notes. This is a supplement, not a substitute. Everyone aboard still needs a wearable Type II or Type III PFD. A cushion alone won't keep an unconscious person face-up, and it's not the tool for offshore or overnight runs. It's also on the bulky side for kayaks and small inflatables, where a compact throwable makes more sense. And keep an eye on it over time. Foam that gets sat on every day will compress and lose buoyancy, straps take a beating in salt and sun, and the camo can fade if it lives in direct sunlight all season. Check the Coast Guard label once a year and make sure it's still legible.

Stored right and treated as the emergency gear it is, one of these rides quietly in the boat for years and does its one job when it counts. Keep it dry between trips, keep it accessible underway, and don't sit on it as your everyday seat if you want it holding full flotation the day you actually need to throw it.