Inflatable life vest check?

Have you checked yours recently? My 7 year old unit fired off today. It was in a dry space, 80 degrees. Reading up on these, the bobbin and cartridge should be replaced every 3 years, less than $25 on Amazon. If you don’t replace it you should try the manual inflator to be sure it holds air.

The bobbin has an expiration date, usually three years. The cartridge will last until punctured. In addition you should inflate the vest (orally) at least once a year. Let it sit inflated for at least 24 hours to insure it will hold air. During that time check all straps etc for damage. The re-fold the vest and out it away again for a year.

Two Mustang inflatables came with our boat. They were 1 year past their 5 year expiration date. To test, the gf and I put them on and jumped in the water. Success 2 for 2. I left them inflated for 3 days to check for leaks. All good. Re-arm kits were ~$65 ea and easy to install - youtube video. A big plus of this is the gf is comfortable with the technology and knows it will work. Also, how to manually inflate. Next time - 5 years from now - we will jump in the water to test them again - then replace them. The Mustangs are comfortable, so they get worn at the slightest provocation.

If you jumped into salt water be sure you rinsed them well and allowed them to dry before repacking.