Our yearlong “Find Your Adventure” series saluting the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service has taken us from the gentle ocean waves of Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout national seashores to the cool, clear lakes of Voyageurs National Park over the past few months.
Which got us to thinking. If you’re someone who has a penchant for playing in the water – whether it’s in a fishing boat or atop a stand-up paddleboard – you owe it to yourself to get a good-quality PFD (aka: personal flotation device, life jacket, etc.).
We’ve been testing a Kokatat Bahia Tour PFD recently, and found it to offer a number of advantages over your old-fashioned generic life jacket. For starters, the adjustable side and shoulder straps make it possible to achieve a secure, custom fit that allows for freedom of movement whether you’re casting a line or swinging a paddle. Three large front pockets make it possible to keep everything from fishing lures to granola bars handy throughout your time on the water.
Add details like highly reflective SOLAS tape strips, well-placed lash points and durable outer material and you have an investment that will last you for many years of water-based fun to come.
