The Rundown: Floatation Vests vs Impact Vests
Whether you’re going for big jumps or playing it safe, these protective vests provide some major benefits that you don’t want to miss out on.
When you’re out there wakeboarding, kitesurfing, windsurfing, or foiling, there’s always some level of risk involved. The conditions can be unpredictable, and you never know what obstacles you might come across. That’s why it’s crucial to wear protective gear, like floatation vests and impact vests. Whether you’re going for big jumps or playing it safe, these protective vests provide some major benefits that you don’t want to miss out on. It can seriously reduce your chances of getting injured, keeping you safe and ensuring you have a blast on the water.
Not sure what the difference between a floatation vest and impact vest is, and which one to go for? In this blog we’ll outline the main differences, along with what we’ve got in our range.
CE Approved Vests
All Mystic vests, including floatation vests and impact vests, are CE approved. This means they’ve been assessed to meet European safety, health, and environmental protection requirements. Impact vests have been tested for impact, and floatation vests have been tested for buoyancy, measured in Newton. Our floatation vests have a buoyancy of 50 Newton, which provides enough aid for people who can swim well and have help nearby in case of an emergency. It also provides you with just enough freedom of movement for water sports.
Floatation Vests
Floatation vests are designed to keep you afloat in water through buoyancy. These vests are commonly worn by beginners seeing as they’re likely to wipe out as part of the learning curve. That said, riders may want to wear a floatation vest when conditions are very rough. For instance, when rip tides are strong, waves are big, or you’re riding around a cape or some rocks.
Mystic offers three unisex floatation vests, each with slightly different features. For kiters, the Brand vest includes an adjustable crotch buckle to prevent from riding up when you’re afloat in the water. The Star vest has a slightly higher cut so you can wear it with a waist harness. For wakeboarders, the USCG Flotation Vest is a bit longer and includes a zipper at the front for easy changing. In case you’re riding in the US or Canada, it’s also approved by the US Coast Guard and Transport Canadian.
For riders hitting waves or doing jump tricks, floatation vests can sometimes get in the way. That’s when impact vests tend to be more suitable.
Impact Vests
Impact vests are designed to keep riders safe from hard impact to the upper body. The foam padding in an impact vest absorbs the impact of the fall, which is a benefit for beginners and pros alike. For beginners, it comes in handy when you’re constantly being pulled over your board. For experienced riders, it allows you to be safe when learning new jumps and tricks.
Types of Impact Vests
When it comes to protective gear for water sports, impact vests are more commonly worn than floatation vests. For that reason, there’s more variety in impact vest design. You may prefer a vest that is lightweight and stretchy for comfort, or you may prefer having heavy duty padding around your torso. You may also choose your vest depending on your budget; impact vests are designed with neoprene, and the more premium vests are crafted from a higher quality neoprene with better stretch properties.
With these features in mind, we have a wide range of kite and wake vests, including signature designs from team riders. The best way to get a lay of the land is by browsing our options. Some of the more premium vests like the Foil, Renegade, and the Gem for women include NBR foam to protect your spine. In other vests like the Majestic or Outlaw, or the Maze for women, the foam has been stitched through, which means the panels won’t shift around, a feature that applies to our more premium vests.
Always be sure you’re looking at the right collection as we’ve got vests for wakeboarders and kitesurfers, but there is a difference. For wakeboarders, the padding covers more of your torso, whereas kiters will find that vests shouldn’t be padded around the waist where the harness sits. You can always reach out to our team if you’re in need of expert product selection support.
EXPLORE OUR IMPACT VESTS
FAQ
A floatation vest is designed to provide buoyancy support and help you stay afloat in the water. It is tested for buoyancy and is the better choice when flotation support is your main priority. An impact vest is designed to help soften crashes, hard landings and wipeouts. It uses foam padding in key impact zones to protect the upper body, but it is not intended to replace a certified buoyancy aid or life vest. Choose a floatation vest for buoyancy support. Choose an impact vest for impact protection, freedom of movement and crash protection during riding.
A floatation vest should feel secure around the body and should be chosen using the correct size or weight guidance. It should not ride up too much when you are in the water. An impact vest should fit snugly around the chest and torso so the padding stays in place during crashes, landings and wipeouts. It should not block breathing, rotation or freedom of movement. For kitesurfing, make sure the vest fits comfortably with your harness. For wakeboarding, make sure the vest stays close to the body during grabs, rotations and hard landings.
Kite impact vests and wake impact vests are shaped differently because the sports use different equipment. A kite impact vest needs to work with a harness, so it should not have bulky padding around the waist where the harness sits. Many kite vests use a high-cut or non-padded harness waist area for comfort and better fit. A wake impact vest can cover more of the torso because wakeboarders do not wear a kite harness over the vest. Choose a kite vest for kitesurfing and a wake vest for wakeboarding, because the padding placement and fit are designed around each sport.
For wakeboarding, most riders choose an impact vest because crashes, landings and repeated falls are part of the sport. Wake impact vests usually have more padding around the torso than kite vests because they do not need to leave space for a kite harness. Men can choose the Renegade Impact Vest, Outlaw Impact Vest, Star Impact Vest, Poseidon Impact Vest, The Dom Impact Vest, Anarchy Impact Vest or Peacock Impact Vest. Women can choose the Raspa Elena Bodi Impact Vest, Juice Impact Vest, Star Impact Vest, Evoke Impact Vest, Maze Impact Vest or Dazzled Impact Vest. Choose a floatation vest instead if certified buoyancy support is your main priority.
For kitesurfing, choose based on whether buoyancy or impact protection matters more. Choose a Star Floatation Vest or Brand Floatation Vest if certified buoyancy support is your priority. Choose a kite impact vest if you want crash protection and a harness-compatible fit. Men can choose options such as the Solace Impact Vest, Block Impact Vest, Star Impact Vest or Foil Impact Vest. Women can choose options such as the Dusk Impact Vest, Ruby Impact Vest or Star Impact Vest. For kitesurfing, make sure the vest works comfortably with your harness and does not add bulky padding where the harness sits.
