: Just finishing up a Waters Dancing "Lightning 14", so I
: am looking for a light & cool PFD any suggestions? Got a
: gift cert for West Marine but am willing to look elsewhere. Also
: has anyone got plans for a kayak cart? It will need to travel on
: sand...( Big wheels) kayak is supposed to weigh 38 lbs, but as a
: first time builder it probably weighs more.
PFD is such a personal thing that one is cool will likely get you a lot of snide remarks from others who disagree. Personally, I look for features and fit. For me, the things that are important: 1) 2 pockets on the front, full size, no radio pocket for me. 2) A good snug fit in my wetsuit or with no shirt... has to fit both. 3) some reflective surface area. 4) A couple d-rings or similar for attaching a whistle/knife/radio/whatever. 5) This is a new thing and hard to find in a commercial PFD (from what I've seen) so I'm modifying my current PFD---Camelback pocket. I'm tired of wearing my camelback on top (or under) my PFD so a pocket for that will be an amazing addition in my opinion.

Things I don't much care about: bulk... I've never even noticed the bulk of modern PFDs of just about any design. Color is irrelevant to me as long as there are some reflective tape areas. Brand is also irrelevant though some people find favorites. My current PFD is, I believe, an LL Bean that cost me about $40. It wears well, has features 1-4 above and was the right price. What more could I ask for (other than feature 5 above.)