An impact vest provides riders protection for the upper body from smacking the water’s surface at high speeds.
Falling from 300 feet in the air, the waters surface feels like concrete. Naturally kite surfers, kite foilers, and wing foilers wear protection like the impact vest to prevent the wind getting knocked out of them or worse.
Impact vests are great for water sports that involve kite surfing or kite foiling since the rider can get pretty high. A good impact vest fits tightly and will give riders more confidence when they’re soaring in the sky and worried about hitting the water hard.
Overall, an impact vest is safer but there’s a lot of misconceptions about what one is and what protection it offer.
What makes a good vest?
The key features of a quality vests are:
Lightweight
Large arm holes for added range of motion
Front zipper lock for easy entry
Durability
Harness compatibility (for wind surfers & foilers)
The two biggest factors of a quality mark vest is range of motion and durability.
What’s the difference between a life jacket and an impact vest?
An impact vest absorbs contact from the water’s surface or even board. A life jacket is a floatation vest that give the rider more buoyancy when in the water.
A better rider who’s comfortable with extreme water sports may opt for an impact vest instead of a life vest because they likely have a spotter and they can swim fine.
A novice rider may opt for a life jacket instead of a impact vest because they need enough buoyancy to keep their upper body out of the water.
Life jackets lack freedom of movement and end up getting in the way. While impact vests offer plenty of movement but they’re not sufficiently buoyant
TL;DR: A rider who is more experienced may opt for a impact vest because it offers more protection to the rib cage. Meanwhile, a novice rider may opt for a life jacket to help prevent them from sinking.
What are some well known brands?
Many brands only sell floating vests but these have competition vests that are built for high impact water sports.
Here are some of the best impact vests on the market in no particular order:
O’Neill
Mystic
Ion
Liquid Force
Billabong
Dakine
Ion and Mystic are well known brands for most kite surfers and foilers. O’Neill also makes a best selling vest. These brands offer quality impact vests. Their comp vests are durable and have a wide range of sizes to fit most riders.
This isn’t a knock on Billabong or Dakine, it’s just not a core focus of their product offerings.
How much do impact vests cost?
These vests will cost anywhere from $85 – $200+. Which may seem expensive but remember it’s not just a regular old life jacket.
The reason the vest can be expensive is due to the light and flexible neoprene material that is used.
We strongly recommend not skimping out on this because the vest will safeguard you from serious injury.
Is a impact vest a life jacket?
No an impact vest is not the same as a life jacket.
Impact vests provide little to no buoyancy aid to help riders stay afloat in an emergency. Impact vests offer better protection for smacking the water compared to floating on top of it.
Comp vests are not coast guard approved as a flotation vest because they offer little buoyancy aid. An impact vest’s purpose is to protect riders from accidents, not to keep the rider floating.
Should impact vests be tight?
Yes. Impact vests should be pretty tight around the shoulders.
Some people claim that the biggest drawback is the restrictive mobility but it’s a small price to pay for safety. Loose impact vests will not work properly and can cause injury. It must fit tight to protect your torso from impact.
It’s all about how it fits and feels on your body. It’s important that the vest should be snug but gives you plenty of range of motion.
Do you need an impact vests for eFoiling?
For eFoiling, it’s better to wear a life jacket than a impact vest.
Impact vests are better suited for kite foiling and wakeboarding at high speeds and even higher altitudes. Kite surfers and kite foilers love impact vests because high altitude tricks can be a long way down.
Epic Foils take: Beginners should stick to life vests and experts can opt for a flotation vest if they chose too.
Should I wear an Impact vest for wing foiling?
Depending on your skill level it may make sense to wear a life jacket instead.
Beginners should wear life jackets and experienced freestylers may want to consider wearing a vest if they’re doing any crazy tricks above the water’s surface.
Do impact vests float at all?
Impact vests offer slight buoyancy aid but not enough buoyancy to be considered a personal floatation device. The impact vest typically offers just protection for upper body. While life jackets core function is buoyancy aid.
Bottom line: A comp vest is not a lifesaving device and does not guarantee buoyancy for distressed riders.
Why wear a vest?
Well these vests are important for adrenaline junkies who take their water sport to crazy heights.
These vests also offer extra warmth and help protect the upper body from serious injury. Although they lack in buoyancy and aren’t necessarily fantastic fashion they get the job done. The good ones have enough freedom of movement to give you.
If you kite foil or kite surf, we strongly recommend you wear one.