The Onyx M Series Belt Pack Manual Inflatable Life Jacket is a Personal Floatation Device or PFD. What makes it unique is that it looks nothing like a life jacket or other floatation devices we have seen. In fact, it looks more like a fanny pack.
A life jacket is an essential piece of equipment when you are out in the water. However, like a vehicle seat belt, it is only useful if you are wearing it. The regular life jacket is bulky and gets in the way of the wearer’s movement. Therefore, most of the time, it is not uncommon to have it stored nearby instead of actually wearing it. Unfortunately, in many emergencies, you do not have time to retrieve and wear a life jacket properly.
The Onyx M Series Belt Pack solves this problem by storing a life jacket in a very compact belt form. Worn around your waist, it doesn’t get in your way. It gives you full body movement and it is lightweight. Turn the pack around to your back and you will even forget it is there.
It is targeted at paddlers, anglers, kayakers, boaters and boaters. Especially those who don’t want their range of movement inhibited by wearing a life jacket.
In an emergency, all you have to do to deploy the PFD is to pull the plastic tag. A pressurized CO2 canister instantly inflates the jacket in a split second. The inflation method is similar to the Kingii device which uses a similar CO2 canister.
There are two versions of the belt pack. The M16 is the smaller device and deploys a pillow-like bladder floatation device. To keep afloat, you hold the bladder across your chest. It has a neck loop that you put over your head to help keep the bladder in place.
The M24 is larger and deploys a full life jacket that you can slip over your head. The jacket is designed to help keep your head above the water even if you lose consciousness or fall asleep while on the water. It also has a built-in hydration pouch.
Both versions have an oral inflation tube. You can use it to further inflate or re-inflate the device for more buoyancy. Both versions also have clear instructions printed on how to repack the device and replace the CO2 cartridge. Repacking is simple and should take no more than 5 minutes.
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