The best PFD is the one you’ll actually wear on the boat. This is it.
words :: Feet Banks
Long Story Short:
Mustang Survival Elite 120 Inflatable PFD website link
Price: $349.99 CAN / $299.99 USD
Elevator Pitch: Mustang Survival makes the best inflatable PFDs. And now they’re making them better with new bladder technology, an exclusive system to prevent accidental inflation, and a re-engineered fit for added comfort and safety.
Performance: Transport Canada and US Coast Guard-approved, the Elite 120 fits so comfortably out of the water you might forget you’re wearing it. In the water it delivers 120N/28 lbs of buoyancy with new ADAPT technology and bladder shape to promote strong body-turning performance.
Reviewer’s Notes: People with limited experience on the water should definitely wear a reliable PFD, but so should people with lots of experience because the more time you spend out there, the higher the chances of a freak occurrence, or an error of complacency. All my fishing guide buddies (and my dad) swear by Mustang, and the Elite 120 is THE choice for lake or near-shore ocean fishing and boating.
Long Story Long:
“You know the number-one cause of death, historically, in fishing guides?”
One of the reasons I like fishing with my buddy Brad is because in those moments when the fish aren’t biting, he knows how to fill the time.
“Uh, drowning..?”
“Nope, it’s actually skin cancer. Or it used to be. People are a lot more knowledgeable now.” I can tell Brad is just getting going. “But drowning is starting to catch up. You know why?”
I know enough to know that I don’t even need to reply.
“Dudes fall in fall in trying to take a leak off the back of the boat when they’re out alone. They stand up to piss, the boat’s still in gear, they fall in and are on their own with no life jacket… most of ‘em are found with their pants around their ankles.”
I did some research later on and it turns out Brad—better known as the Pemberton Fish Finder, a life-long angler of lake, river, stream and sea—puts a tad more emphasis on how often drowning occurs while urinating than, say, the folks at Canadian Occupational Safety (who simply refer to “falling overboard” or “vessel stability” and lump angling guides in with commercial fishing fleets). But the message is the same: If you’re going out on the water, wear a PFD (that’s “personal flotation device” for those new to the lingo).
At the same time, you want a PFD that’s approved to the government standard and, historically, Transport Canada and US Coast Guard standards haven’t always aligned. The good news is that’s changing, and there’s a move to set minimum buoyancy levels for approved-use PFDs in both countries.
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Progress is being made, but there is definitely more work to be done, and anyone buying a PFD should consider their specific needs and choose the right device for the environment they want to use it in (more on that later). Which is why I, a new boat owner myself, was pumped at the opportunity to test out the just-released Mustang Survival Elite 120 Inflatable PFD, designed for anglers, sailors and boaters who spend most of their time on lakes or closer-to-shore coastal waters.
Mustang also has burlier options for offshore use (if you need extra buoyancy or spray hoods and wave barriers, check out the Elite 190 or the super-badass Atlas 190 Inflatable Life Jacket), but I can’t afford the gas to get that far offshore and my boat isn’t made for that anyhow, so the Elite 120 looked like the right fit.
But what has actually changed compared to the previous-generation Mustang PFDs my boat-loving parents still use every day?
It’s comfier than before:
Mustang calls it a “lower profile” design and an “ergonomic chassis” but what that means to me is the part behind the neck sits lower than other models (and competitors) and eliminates previous issues with the PFD rubbing on the back of the neck, which used to be a problem. The collar fits snug and comfy with plenty of adjustment options. There are even waist belt extenders available as an add-on for stockier builds. Basically you barely know you have the Elite 120 on, even when it’s on.
The automatic inflation is awesome:
Back to the fishing guide peeing off the back of the boat. Suppose he hits his head on the motor as he falls in and gets knocked out. The Elite 120 will still inflate thanks to its “Hydrostatic Inflator Technology” (HIT) inflator. Basically, once the PFD is underwater, the (small amount of) air inside the bladder gets pushed to the top and that triggers the inflator. I tested it and while the inflation wasn’t as immediate as I was expecting, it definitely worked (I think part of the reason for the delay—and it was 3 seconds, tops—was I “fell” in headfirst and the HIT sensor didn’t kick in until it was more level and the air in the bladder rose away from submerged inflator mechanism.)
Suppose he hits his head on the motor as he falls in and gets knocked out. The Elite120 will still inflate thanks to its “Hydrostatic Inflator Technology” (HIT) inflator.
The nice thing about a hydrostatic inflator, you have to be at least 10 cm (4 inches) submerged for it to engage, which means the Elite 120 won’t “accidentally” inflate if it gets hit by spray or rain like some other (lesser) PFDs that use weird dissolvable-tablet inflators and stuff. The best inflation systems on the market are built in Sweden by a company called Hammar, and Mustang holds exclusive rights to distribute Hammar’s tech in North America. (You can do a deep dive on HIT technology here.) Basically, the auto-inflation is really awesome and brings an added level of safety.
When it comes to deciding which PFD is one for you, fully understanding how to measure buoyancy can be a bit confusing—basically it’s an equation: upward force equals the weight of displaced water minus the weight of the object itself. But note that a PFD really only needs to keep your head out of the water, not your entire body (some of your bodyweight floats naturally too!) Thinking that way, most adults only need 7–12 pounds of buoyancy (31–53 Newtons). The Elite 120 delivers 28 pounds/120 Newtons of buoyancy, which was definitely enough for me. (The Elite 190 brings a badass 42 pounds of buoyancy, or 188 Newtons.) The smart thing to do is read Mustang’s buoyancy blog, so you’ll understand it all.
And, of course, you can always manually activate the HIT inflator by pulling the easy-to-find metal handle, which also tucks nicely into the chassis to avoid catching on things and accidentally inflating.
It rolls you face up:
Supposing a person was knocked unconscious upon entering the water. Floating face down is not gonna do them any good. Using Mustang’s exclusive Advanced Airway Protection & Turning (ADAPT) technology, the inflatable bladder in the Elite series PFDs is built to provide a strong body-turning motion in the water—it’s designed to get you face up.
I tried it. I wasn’t knocked out for real, but I used my best acting, went limp and even stuck out my tongue and made “uggggh” sounds underwater. Three times in a row the (already inflated) Elite 120 bladder rolled me over within seconds.
Using Mustang’s exclusive ADAPT tech, the inflatable bladder in the Elite series PFDs is built to provide a strong body-turning motion in the water—it’s designed to get you face up.
It’s rechargeable:
The best way to boat is never fall in and never need to inflate your PFD, but no one wants a single-use PFD. If something does happen and the Elite 120 bladder gets deployed, re-arm Kits are available on the Mustang website for just over 100 bucks. That includes a new 38-gram CO2 cylinder and inflator body and a new inflator cap and metal handle. (I shouldn’t need to tell you but only use the proper Mustang re-arm kits otherwise your warranty is voided and also the other ones might not work!!) And the inflator has a green indicator that turns red if the single-use CO2 canister has in fact been used. Very important!
The whistle magically appears:
Once inflated, the ADAPT bladder also includes a handy a mouth tube (for extra inflation or deflation) and a whistle to help attract attention and (hopefully) assistance but it’s not flapping around on your PFD the rest of the time. It only comes out when you need it.
Last Thoughts
Let’s be clear: the greatest PFD or lifejacket you will ever own is the one you’ll actually wear on the boat. The Mustang Elite series are comfy and sleek out of the water. They don’t “feel weird” or “look lame” and if all the coolest fishing guides I know are stoked on them, they’re probably good enough for the rest of us.
And listen, accidents happen in all aspects of life…that’s just the reality of it. Which is why people who don’t have a lot of experience on the water should always wear a PFD, but so should people with lots of experience because increasing one’s time in any environment also increase the risk of a freak occurrence. And when that happens, I hope I’m wearing my Elite 120.
Bonus good news: if skin cancer really is a historical top killer of fishing guides (or anyone who spends a lot of time on the water), Mustang has a solution for that too—the hooded Adelphi UV shirts provide SPF 50 protection and still keep you cool and looking good.
Stay safe, Mountain Lifers. Float on!
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