I’ve spent the last month playboating almost everyday and thoroughly enjoying my Willis PFD. After paddling at a variety of spots such as the Skookumchuck Narrows (big wave) and the Kananaskis River (Play run with small holes) here are my thoughts on the Willis, Astral’s latest Freestyle PFD.

Features:

I didn’t think it could get any better than the Newton (Astrals previous Freestyle PFD) then along came the Willis. The Willis comes standard with everything a paddler could ever want in a PFD. Contoured fit, upper and lower torso panels, knife tab, large pocket, side or over the head entry, easy shoulder strap adjustment, and it’s made with environmentally friendly materials.

The Willis was made with comfort and mobility in mind which is very apparent. The contoured foam stays high up the middle of you back and wraps around your torso making for greater rib and spine protection while maintaining mobility and increasing flotation. This is a nice feature for people who like to run rivers and stop for the occasional surf as the majority of Freestyle PFD’s have little protection. Separate foam panels for your upper and lower torso, as first seen in the Newton, allow more freedom than any PFD on the market. The rear foam panel also comes with an inner mesh back band that allows your body to move independently from the PFD’s rear panel. The foam lined shoulder straps make carrying a boat on your shoulder much more comfortable and add a little extra flotation.

Under the front panel you’ll find a pocket large enough to fit a full bottle of sun screen, some granola bars, paddle wax and whatever else you like to carry in your PFD. Its hidden location also ensures that you look stylish on the river no matter how full it is. On the front panel you’ll find a knife tab in an easy to reach location well away from your face.

Adjusting the Willis is very simple. The inner torso panel has three adjustment straps on each side to firmly secure it around your stomach and two front adjustment straps that double as a torso length and shoulder strap adjustor. One of the Willis’ nicest features is the buckles located on the right torso adjustment straps. If you prefer a side entry PFD undo the buckles when putting it on and taking it off or if you’d rather slide your PFD on and off over your head simply leave the buckles done up.

As with all Astral PFD’s the Willis is made to have as little environmental impact as possible incorporating features like PVC-Free Gaia foam.
Bottom Line:

After paddling with the Willis at multiple locations I can confidently say that it is the most comfortable play vest I have ever worn. It has excellent rage of motion, all the features I could ever desire, and it makes me look damn good…which isn’t easy to do! I have yet to have it ride up on me, even after multiply face surfs at Skookumchuck, and there are zero signs of wear. The independently moving front and back panels allow me to lean forward with greater ease than ever before by moving out of the way when I bend. With three sizes and two colors to choose from I’m sure there is a little fella named Willis out there for everyone.

Kelsey Thompson

Check out more of Kelsey’s adventures on his blog: Atlantic Kayaker

Here at Astral we often get questions about the different techniques involved in using a rescue jacket. The first thing that we tell folks is that the best way to learn about swiftwater rescue is to take a course and practice for yourself. There’s lots of good books and a few videos on the market, but nothing really can come close to the knowledge available from first hand experience. Taking a course provides a great opportunity to learn these techniques in a somewhat controlled setting so that you are ready for the real deal. This past weekend some of our staff and reps decided to brush up on their rescue skills with the help of Justin Padgett. Justin is the lead instructor at Landmark Learning in Cullowhee, NC and he designed this course specifically for Astral. It was a great opportunity to learn about the latest technique and curriculum developed by the American Canoe Association (ACA)…and we got to play with some new toys while we were at it.

Our course was held on the Tuckaseegee River near Dillsboro, NC. The water was warm, about 70 degrees or so, it felt really nice to swim around in the river. Above Yonton demonstrates a swiftwater entry as he swims a rope to the other shore. A good entry involves landing fairly flat with your arms in front of your face for protection. The impact of the entry is taken on the jacket’s front panel and a slightly arched back ensures that your PFD hits the water first.

Thanks to Philip we had some new Greenjacket samples to use for the day. This new design is great for swimming and offer incredible mobility because of the Foam Tectonic platform. Its important to note that when clipping a rope into a rescue PFD, Always use a locking carabiner so that it does not accidentally clip into the PFDs belt loop. Another important thing to consider is your knife. You should always carry a knife when working with ropes but make sure that it stays put on (or in) your PFD so you don’t loose it in the river. We learned that it is acceptable to carry a knife in the front pocket as long as it can be accessed quickly. The front pocket of the Greenjacket can be easily opened with one hand to easily retrieve a folding knife. I use one from Spydero that is sweet.

The course was specifically geared towards kayaking related rescue scenarios and all of us paddled our creek boats that day. One of the fastest and most effective rescue techniques that we practiced was the strong swimmer rescue (aka contact rescue, live bait rescue). This is one of the fastest and best ways to recover a victim form the river. Here Yonton (swimmer) and Philip (belay) rescue our good friend Rion Smith from the clutches of the Mighty Tuck. I could see this coming in extremely handy in many different creek boating scenarios, especially to recover an unconscious victim.

Overall the course was very informative and we were all extremely pleased with the rescue performance of the new Greenjacket (shown above). Astral highly recommends that all whitewater paddlers take a swiftwater rescue course. For paddlers in the Western North Carolina area we recommend taking a class with Landmark Learning, who teach in accordance with ACA curriculum. Here are a few links to help you find a swiftwater rescue course in your area:

Landmark Learning
American Canoe Association
Rescue 3 International

Also, check our Swiftwater Gallery for more images from the day.

boat safe,

Bryan Owen