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Buoyancy Aids Products
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£200.51 (inc Vat)
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Palm
Nevis PFD
The Palm Nevis is possibly the best whitewater kayaking pfd out there. This PFD for kayaking features a new style design from Palm called delta fit; this is combined with an over the head design for the best le...
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£175.50 (inc Vat)
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Peak UK
Racer ST Short
The Peak ST Racer is the latest competitive racing Top Deck, providing the lightest and most streamline fit for top performance slalom athletes. It is lightweight with a neoprene deck, neoprene arms and a buoya...
£174.36 (inc Vat)
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Palm
Extrem PFD
The Palm Extrem, a high performance PFD for whitewater kayaking. This PFD was designed to offer the highest levels of safety and performance. The Extrem PFD features a front opening design that's easy to get on...
£174.36 (inc Vat)
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Palm
Extrem Women's PFD
The Palm Extrem Women's PFD is one of the best choices out here for the female whitewater kayakers. This women's kayaking pfd is built to the highest possible standards and offers the highest levels of safety a...
£152.76 (inc Vat)
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Peak UK
River Wrap PFD
The Peak UK River Wrap is a whitewater kayaking PFD with an added twist. This PFD has all the styling of an overhead design but in fact it’s a front opening PFD. This offers the best of both! The River Wrap has...
£152.76 (inc Vat)
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Peak UK
River Wrap Women's PFD
The Peak UK River Wrap Women's PFD, a front opening PFD for whitewater kayaking. With a design heritage that dates back to the 2012 London Olympic Games, this is a great option for the female kayaker who wants ...
£152.57 (inc Vat)
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Palm
Kaikoura PFD
The Palm Kaikoura
£148.20 (inc Vat)
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Palm
FXr PFD
The Palm FXr PFD is a great option to consider when you’re progressing into whitewater kayaking. This whitewater kayaking pfd has been packed with lots of great features and certainly offers you some great leve...
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£143.90 (inc Vat)
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Palm
Extrem
The Palm Extrem is a top end PFD that is ideal for white water kayaking. The design of the Extrem is based around a 3D cut and it is easily accessed through the front opening system. Palm have packed the extram...
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£143.90 (inc Vat)
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Palm
Extrem Womens
The Palm Extrem Womens is a high specification womens white water PFD from the Palm Equipment 'Gear for Women' Range. It features a velcro front opening that's held together by four 25mm buckles, making it easy...
£135.31 (inc Vat)
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Peak UK
Ocean Wrap PFD
The Peak UK Ocean Wrap, a high performance PFD for sea kayaking that's highly versatile and exceptionally comfortable. This PFD for sea kayaking features a front opening design so its easy to get on and off, th...
£135.31 (inc Vat)
You save 12%
Peak UK
Ocean Wrap Women's PFD
The Peak UK Ocean Wrap Women's PFD, a buoyancy aid for sea kayaking that is designed for the female form. This sea kayak pfd features a front opening design, however rather than a central opening joint, it open...
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What's the difference between a life jacket and a buoyancy aid? Both are PFD's (Personal Flotation Devices), but a life jacket will turn an unconscious swimmer on their back to keep their mouth and nose out of the water. The downside is that a life jacket makes it much harder for a conscious swimmer to swim on their front. A buoyancy aid will not turn the wearer face up, but its primary purpose is to support a conscious swimmer and make it easy for the wearer to swim in a normal and powerful fashion when required (like when you've really got to make that eddy!). They also provide some welcome body armour on certain trips!
We do stock a range of life jackets, which we recommend for use by people who may have trouble swimming. They are also suitable for sailing, and we have models for children and babies.
For those of you who would like to take your four legged friends out on the water, check out our range of Pet Buoyancy Aids.
Which Buoyancy Aid?
This is answered by the type of paddling that you are doing, features you are looking for, and budget.
Some buoyancy aids come with a zip down the front, while others are pulled on over the head. Features to look for include pockets, knife/lash tabs, and adjustment straps for a perfect fit. More advanced paddlers will also want to consider chest harnesses.
For newcomers to the sport, who want a basic entry level buoyancy aid with a zip front for easy entry and release, we suggest looking at the Recreation category.
Whitewater paddlers tend to be split between competition and whitewater BA's, with the competition vests being streamlined and having a high degree of freedom of movement, but with little in the way of frills such as pockets and harnesses, freestyle kayakers will appreciate this unrestricted freedom, but there's no space for chocolate; while whitewater PFDs tend to be thicker to protect the user, and pockets to store rescue paraphernalia such as slings and carabiners. All these tend to be Vest style over the head entry, meaning less can go wrong in an emergency. Having said that, you can find front opening river BA's, generally designed with no Zips, and which can be easier to put on with rear entry drysuits.
There are several styles of buoyancy aid on offer that are suitable for sea and touring use. They all tend to be front opening, jacket style, and as you pay more you get more pockets, pockets within pockets, hand warming areas, reflective detailing; and hydration pouch capabilities.
Check out our range of buoyancy aid-compatible hydration systems, although some of the more traditional reservoir systems can fit too.
For polo players we have the Peak UK Polo Vest, which we can get made to order in your team colours.
If you are looking for buoyancy aids for outdoor centre or group work we have a range of Centre Buoyancy Aids. Centre Spec buoyancy aids need to be durable and easy to adjust. They all have clean simple lines, do not offer options of pockets and also come in bright colours for easy recognition and safety.