March 17, 2013

Kokatat Maximus Prime Rescue PFD

The Maximus Prime PFD from Kokatat is a bold new vest that is chocked full of innovations and features for whitewater kayakers and sea kayakers alike. The comfort, fit and range of motion provided by the Maximus Prime is by far the best of any Kokatat PFD I’ve ever worn and rivals that of anything else on the market today. The Prime’s extra wide (and padded!) shoulder straps stay out of your way but still let you feel secure wearing this vest, and the innovative front foam paneling provides a tremendous amount of adjustability and range of motion. The Maximus Prime does a great job of walking the line between a low-profile, comfortable fit and having enough substance to keep you afloat and to make you feel protected on the water. The floatation feels as though it’s in the right spots, despite having a generous amount of foam this vest doesn’t feel bulky at all. A generously sized chest pocket allows you to bring some small accessories on the water with you, and a handy stash pouch on the inside of the chest panel is a great spot to stow your short range tow tether. I loved the fact that both the chest pocket zipper and the lash tab dongle feature protective housings so you won’t get hung up when doing a reentry in conditions (the fabric guard over the knife tab is especially nice, I have lost several rescue knives in the past because they got hung up on something and came flying off my vest). For sea kayakers that use a VHF radio, Kokatat offers an accessory pouch that attaches securely to the chest panel that is specifically designed for the Maximus Prime. Over all I absolutely love the platform this PFD is built on, and it hits the mark on almost all of the details as well. At 6’2” 230 lbs and a broad shouldered frame, the M/L Maximus fit me perfectly even over base layers and a drysuit. Check out this PFD on the racks at Alder Creek this spring and get comfy in a PFD that is as much function as it is form.