Checking / Carrying On Self-Inflating PFD?
Posted by ezrapoundcakes@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 41 comments
I'm flying out to sail in a new location and I would love to bring my self inflating vest with me. While the TSA guidelines state that you can fly with a self-inflating vest, they are also careful to say that they can decide whether or not you can fly with it based on "safety concerns". Has anyone had any issues carrying on or checking a self-inflating PFD in the last year?
nachodorito@reddit
We recently flew from NY to Grenada with inflatable pfds via JetBlue. JB specifically says you can not bring these in your carryon despite what tsa rules say. Check the airlines website.
We printed out the TSA approval, and had the co2 in the same mesh bag as the approval and the pfd
Cdn59@reddit
Be careful going to Mexico, Los Cabos, no problem bringing them in but big problem trying to fly out with them.
AntaresiaMaculosa@reddit
Ya, they confiscated my cartridges there and told me that they needed to be in checked luggage
Cole_Slawter@reddit
You can take the CO2 cartridges in your carry-on, but it has to be with the vest. That’s what my airline had in their regulations. In fact, one trip I got stopped because of the cylinder and the guy opened my catton up, saw that it was packed with the vest itself, and he says “Oh it’s with a vest” and he was done.
YourFavoriteKraut@reddit
With as in installed, or just in the same container?
I ask because a Lufthansa gate agent once told me to unscrew the cylinder (I asked which way was preferred).
Cole_Slawter@reddit
I vote to detach the cylinder from the vest, but leave the cylinder INSIDE the vest. I am genuinely afraid of a TSA agent pulling on my vest by the little yellow handle.
mlhpdx@reddit
This has been my experience as well. Bring, even wear, the vest with the canister installed. Just don’t pack extras.
Immediate_Matter9139@reddit
I would not keep the canister installed. Waaaay more likely to go off that way
mcm87@reddit
FWIW, there’s an inflatable vest with a CO2 cartridge in every seat. They don’t have the hydrostatic release installed, as you don’t want it inflating until you exit the aircraft.
Immediate_Matter9139@reddit
And they are inspected a LOOOOOOT more often than your average PFD
SevereSherbert4275@reddit
Right, you can bring the CO2 cartridge separate in your carryon, but if you check the life vest then TSA is going to have an issue
IndyBananaJones2@reddit
You can pack your cylinders in your PFD and bring a specific a number of spares, they have to be packed together. If you're flying through an airport that doesn't commonly have ocean going folks (sailors, fishermen or professional mariners) then make sure to open up the TSA guidelines on your phone have a screenshot.
I flew out of Wyoming once with some cartridges and carried my lifejacket just to transport them. They did not know the rules at all and I had to show them the website, but they were totally cool once they saw it.
cyricmccallen@reddit
maybe consider removing the CO2 canisters before travel?
ezrapoundcakes@reddit (OP)
Good idea. I'm not sure that I will have a chance to get new ones at my destination before I need my PFD.
fergehtabodit@reddit
There is an inflatable pfd under every seat on the plane. These are allowed.
futurebigconcept@reddit
Not unsurprisingly, the TSA does not seem to know or care that the exact same device is under almost every seat in the aircraft. They are still prone to hassle sailers that cary them.
SailingSpark@reddit
Co2 cannisters are cheap. Leave them home and get a new one once you get where you are going.
fergehtabodit@reddit
The re arm kit for my pfd is $85...is that cheap for you? Its not just the cannister, it has the right coupler and hydrostatic valve...cant just get any ole cannister of CO2
J4pes@reddit
Kinda wild to me it costs you 85$ if you pop off, afterwards you have no lifejacket unless you stay inflated which defeats the entire reason the jacket exists.
roadpupp@reddit
I own a foam dinghy racing PFD, but off shore with a tether, Spinlock is keeping me alive. More comfortable and I am worth $85. They are also manually inflatable though a mouth tube.
My Cheap West Marine inflatable is only $30 to rearm. So I race with that on Wednesdays if it is spicy out. Less bulky than a foam PFD.
People have different use cases than you do.
J4pes@reddit
Wasn’t aware when I see them used everywhere, thanks tips
fergehtabodit@reddit
I've seen other re arm kits that are $45-35 so they're not all terrible. The hydrostatic ones dont accidentally deploy as often as the older pill style. Hydrostatic valves need to be submersed for a period of time, the pills just needed to get splashed a few times...as a bowman on a race boat, my pill style vest went off at the worst possible times just from getting splashed. Im due for a new vest actually...mine is 10 years old now.
J4pes@reddit
I’m not a racer so the appeal has never struck me, definitely popular though
SailingSpark@reddit
Can you just replace tge canister though, or is it all piece? I can see the valve being expensive, but if you can just replace the canister alone?
I only have one inflatable pfd, it's a manual one for rowing my shell. I am not too familiar with the autoinflating.
fergehtabodit@reddit
If you buy a certain brand, you have to get their re arm kits. The connectors vary and some have an indicator built in that shows green if full and red if discharged. And some are 30g and some are 33g. Spinlock for example only sells it as a kit...you have to buy everything even if you only need the cannister. I think the newer style vests have re arm kits are less than what I have...but still around $40.
alex1033@reddit
IIRC you can take on board a single PFD + 1 spare CO2 bottle per person. I was flying a couple of times with the gear and there were no questions. Once, many years ago, security check personnel was explaining me that CO2 cartridges are flammable and not allowed, but it was solved with their manager.
PrettyNeatOutThere@reddit
Years ago I used to print out the TSA guidelines just in case TSA asked. I fly with a PFD a few times a year, never had a problem. Occasionally they take it out and swab it.
aseawood@reddit
I print out the TSA guidance and put it on top of my PFD in my carry-on. Half the time it gets pulled out and checked. Half of the time when it gets checked some more senior TSA person has to come over and explain it is ok.
It’s actually hilarious to see when traveling in larger groups going to a regatta and see who gets stopped and who doesn’t. Probably leave an extra 10-15 min incase you get stopped.
blooztune@reddit
This. And I also print out the airline’s guidelines to have with me as well.
TBarretH@reddit
We flew with ours to the Bahamas a couple years ago. Took the canisters out of the vest but put them in a ziplock bag and took them with us. We printed out the TSA guidelines as well as the guidelines from our specific airline stating that we could fly with them (check you airline, some have different rules). We were prepared to have a discussion but they just waved us through. We do have TSA pre-check though, so they generally seem to not give two cents what you're brining through in those lines I feel like.
I also wonder if where you're flying from makes a difference. We were flying out of Seattle, which sees a lot of both commercial and recreational boat traffic. So maybe the TSA guys at SeaTac are just used to seeing them come through and if you were flying from somewhere that didn't see them regularly they would have more questions.
No-Clerk-5600@reddit
At Chicago Midway, I was stopped with my PFD because the TSA manager wanted to show the staff what these vests looked like on the screen and in person. I wasn't in a hurry, so it was okay. Apparently not many boaters go through Midway.
TBarretH@reddit
Oh man, that's kinda funny, but good thing you weren't in a hurry. We definitely got the airport early anticipating security taking longer than usual, so we wound up having lots of time to pace the airport when we got through without anyone so much as batting an eye.
brttf3@reddit
Check with your airline. I did this during covid. I separated the co2 from the vest, and checked it all, along with a printed letter explaining what it was and the printed regulations from the airlines website essentially saying how to pack it.
atmatthewat@reddit
Took two from SFO to the BVI and back a few months ago. SFO was confused at first but agreed they were okay to fly, coming back through Miami it was clear that they see them every day.
dawa43@reddit
They have taken it out of my bag every time to inspect it.
I successfully check two through also. That bag got inspected also... They left their card.
_Schrodingers_Gat_@reddit
They are fine. Have you ever thought about the pfd mounted under literally each seat in the airplane?
J4pes@reddit
Do they let you take those to the boat?
_Schrodingers_Gat_@reddit
No but it does demonstrate that as auto inflator poses zero issues on an airplane.
ChippyHippo@reddit
As others have said, print out the airline guidelines. Also to consider looking up regulations for your destination if it is international. We had one issue at AMS where the manager of their TSA equivalent was called over and she essentially said it was up to her whether she would allow it, despite what we showed her from the airline.
flyingron@reddit
It's not been a problem. I had more of an issue with my chart dividers (which they begrudgingly let me have as well).
fergehtabodit@reddit
Ive flown a few times with an inflatable pfd and 1 spare cartridge as carry on. There is a similar device under every seat on the plane. There really is no issue here. Now, a friend had an inflatable avalanche vest that used a nitrogen cartridge and that's not allowed. Cross post this to r/tsa and you will get responses from agents.