Comp vests - legal in OR?

[Boonejeepin]

I apologize if this is a dumb question..

Is it legal in OR to wear a non-USCG approved comp vest while surfing/boarding/skiing/etc...?

I see that the law requires accessible USCG approved PFDs on board and a person in tow is considered to be onboard. But I am not sure if an approved PFD in the boat is considered accessible for a person in tow.

I want a comp vest but I prefer to not pay a fine.

Thanks!

[DOCDRS]

I believe you have to have one on board for everyone in /on/behind the boat but they do not have to be wearing it. So a comp vest is fine , but you also have to have a fitting (appropriate size) uscg cert pfd on board for that person as well as everyone else

[Razzman]

My experience and others i've heard is really based on who stops you for a safety check. I've been warned about non-uscg vests but never given a ticket because there's always enough legal ones onboard. I know a few who've been ticketed for them. It all depends on the agency doing it. To the best of my knowledge they are illegal everywhere and the reason they call them "comp" vest so they can sell them.

[KSmith]

For Oregon it states:

General Information

All boats must carry at least one U.S. Coast Guard-approved, personal flotation device (PFD) for every person aboard, that properly fits the intended wearer. Such devices must be in serviceable condition. They must not have any rips, tears, or broken straps. All devices must also be kept readily accessible for use in an emergency situation. Personal flotation devices in a plastic bag or in a storage compartment are not readily accessible.

Persons being towed are considered on board the towing boat and there must be an approved Type I, II, or III device aboard for each. Inflatable PFD's are NOT approved for children and are also NOT approved for impact sports such as waterskiing, riding a PWC, inner-tubing, etc.

All children age 12 and under must wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket at all times while on an open deck or cockpit on boats that are underway or when being towed. This includes sailboats, canoes, kayaks and rafts.

PFD EXCEPTIONS:

A child does not need to wear a life jacket while below deck, or in an enclosed cabin of a boat;
A child does not need to wear a life jacket when on a sailboat and is thethered by a lifeline or harness that is attached to the sailboat, and;
A child does not need to wear a life jacket when the child is on a U.S. Coast Guard-inspected passenger-carrying vessel operating in navigable waters of the U.S.


As of January 1, 2010, ORS 830.215 (Life Jacket Statute) will be amended to read:

NEW (3) Notwithstanding the classification by the State Marine Board of the types of personal flotation devices approved for various classes of vessels pursuant to subsection (2) of this section, a person operating a boat on any section of waters rated class III or higher on a commonly accepted scale of river difficulty, and all passengers in the boat, shall wear a properly secured personal flotation device. The personal flotation device must be of a type prescribed by rules adopted by the State Marine Board.

[you da man]

As stated above, all vests must be Coast Guard approved for each person. In Texas you don't have to wear any vests at all while being towed or surf behind a boat, however, you have to wear an approved vest to be towed behind a PWC (makes absolutely no sense).

[KSmith]

You can use a comp vest in OR as long as you are over 12, but you also have to have a uscg vest in the boat in addition to the comp vest. I'd wear a comp vest but I doubt I'd ride without any vest.

[lsvboombox]

You can use a comp vest in OR as long as you are over 12, but you also have to have a uscg vest in the boat in addition to the comp vest. I'd wear a comp vest but I doubt I'd ride without any vest.

Agreed..

Persons being towed are considered on board the towing boat and there must be an approved Type I, II, or III device aboard for each. Inflatable PFD's are NOT approved for children*and are also NOT approved*for impact sports such as waterskiing, riding a PWC, inner-tubing, etc.*

[mmandley]

I've never had any issue with the OR po po and trust me there almost always on the lake when we are. I have never been in my boat and not seen the po po or dealt with them directly. At Henry Hagg we get our year inspection and I pull the comp vests out and they don't care. As long as the kids have proper vests. We only use comp vests then I have 4 of the orange ones I add when I got extra people with no vests.

Only thing you actually have to have in sight for inspection is the throwable floatation device. I keep mine in the cabin area till I get inspected then it goes back under the seats lol

[Boonejeepin]

Thanks everyone. I have only boated in OR for one full season and it seams like the Clackamas county marine patrol is always near.

[jester]

On page 44 of the Oregon boating book under waterskiing item 4 states that

"Towed persons are considered on board the tow boat.
Therefore, children ages 12 and under on water skis or
“biscuits” must wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets."

Hope this clears things up.

http://www.boatoregon.com/OSMB/library/docs/2011BoatersHandbook.pdf

[jester]

Also another helpful link on PFD's.

http://www.boatoregon.com/OSMB/library/docs/27999_life_jackets_LR.pdf

• Water skiers must have one PFD on board
per skier.

Now My 2c on that statment is that you should wear a vest that can keep you above the water just in case you knock yourself out.

[Boonejeepin]

Cool. I will have to keep a printed copy in the boat.

So.... Who here knows where to buy a "biscuit". :). It is interesting that the law is written with a slang term.

[Hoopskier]

So.... Who here knows where to buy a "biscuit". :). It is interesting that the law is written with a slang term.

I have never heard this term, I am assuming it is in reference to inflatables or tubes. Please inform me if I am wrong.

Sounds like some areas of the country actually enforce boating laws. I sometimes answer a boating question with, "who is going to enforce it?" Keep it reasonable and safe looking, should keep you off the radar. Alcohol is the big one.

[jmvotto]

Comp vest are not legal in ny.

[mmandley]

Boone another option for you that covers both the USCG and easy on the wallet are these types.

http://hosports.com/water_ski_vests/mens/system
http://hosports.com/water_ski_vests/womens/form_fit

You can buy these at Costco for 40 bucks starting around March or April if i recall. We carry 5 of them for everyone to use, then i have a total comp vest thats a pull over, and most of my regular buddies bring comp pull over style vests. Between those and the above vests we have had 11 people on the boat and no problems when inspected. Its easy enough to say people use the USCG vests when riding and the pull overs for swimming. They really dont care LOL.

[Boonejeepin]

The first time I have hear of a "biscuit" was with the boating reg mentioned above. I would have to assume they are referring to an inflatable/tube as well.

My boat is a low key atmosphere with young kids. I don't remember having alcohol on our boat and I would never do anything that would draw attention (at least on purpose). I am sure that the sight of alcohol or very loud music will surely bring unwantes attention to a boat.

It is pretty common to see the Coast Guard and the sheriff's marine patrol boats around here. They have even boarded us when we were floating to make sure my little girl's PFD was CG approved. The style is not traditional but it is CG approved. I checked before we bought it. I have never had a negative experience when being boarded but it does not seem to be all that rare here.

[DOCDRS]

One of the silliest rules that we have/had (may have been changed) in Canada, was that you only have to wear a pfd on a pwc if you don't have a paddle or an anchor with at least 15 m of line. Otherwise you just have to have a pfd on/in the pwc. Nope , has not been changed.

Another case in point that you do not have to wear a CG cert vest while skiing is barefooting. Performing tricks in a PFD are quite difficult to impossible, let alone doing a deepwater start. You just have to have one on board your boat.

[BensonWdby]

I use an Oneil Outlaw. More floatation than a pullover, but way more freedom of movement than a conventional neoprene or foam. I really like it. I know from experience that a typical USCG approved vest will not float you upright if you are unconcious.

[mmandley]

The first time I have hear of a "biscuit" was with the boating reg mentioned above. I would have to assume they are referring to an inflatable/tube as well.

My boat is a low key atmosphere with young kids. I don't remember having alcohol on our boat and I would never do anything that would draw attention (at least on purpose). I am sure that the sight of alcohol or very loud music will surely bring unwantes attention to a boat.

It is pretty common to see the Coast Guard and the sheriff's marine patrol boats around here. They have even boarded us when we were floating to make sure my little girl's PFD was CG approved. The style is not traditional but it is CG approved. I checked before we bought it. I have never had a negative experience when being boarded but it does not seem to be all that rare here.

We generaly have alcohol and loud music LOL. I do keep the music family friendly, i also dont crank the tower unless we are boarding. As for the alcohol we all use it responcibly, no one gets drunk, a couple beers here and there. We keep it safe. I have had the Marine patrol actualy bring some friends from the doc to us on Hagg, i know almost all the Marine patrol so they pretty much know exactly where we are on the lake all the time. Not thats it hard to find the loudest boat in the area LOL. We show respect to the Marine Patrol, we dont drink while driving, we dont flaunt drinking, and we keep all the beers in the boat, as in we dont drink in the water, or on the swim deck lol.

Even at LBC when we got pulled over for Claudia riding on the edge of the sun deck while Steve was surfing, they never said anything about everyone drinking except me who was driving, they just set us straight on the fines for her ridding on the sun deck, said nice boat, behaive, and enjoy the rest of your day lol.

In OR for us its a rarity we dont see the Marine patrol, I think i have only been out 1 or 2 times that i didnt see the partol. I think its also because since our season is shorter theres a lot more parting going on when the weather is nice. I do see a lot of boats gets pulled over and boarded though. We normaly sit and watch from afare. Trying to figure out why they got pulled over LOL.

Worst i seen was a bunch of truck guys got pulled over, towed back to shore. There boat was still in the water when we left but no one was at the docks, and we dont leave till the sun is setting normaly.

[Mikey]

Outlaw vest might not keep you upright ,but at least keep you floating so you can be retrieved to say the least.Biscuits ,i think refer back to the days of the original Ski Biscuit,by Obrien. Back in the day. Basically the first manufactured covered tube actually designed to be pulled safely???? Behind your boat.