First Watch FW-40PRO Auto Inflatable PFD with Harness

The First Watch FW-40PRO Ergo is an automatic inflatable PFD with a built-in sailing harness, giving over 40 lb of buoyancy, USCG Commercial Type V and Recreational Type II approved.

Automatic-only inflation is the distinction from the FW-40PROA, and it is a deliberate choice rather than a lesser one. An automatic vest fires on contact with water, which is right for offshore and commercial work where someone going overboard may be unconscious. It is wrong for kayaking or dinghy sailing where immersion is expected.

The sailing harness is built into the vest with load-bearing web loops sewn in rather than bolted on, so a tether clips directly without a separate harness over the top. That removes a layer and the tangle that comes with wearing two systems at once.

A neoprene collar is shaped specifically not to rub the neck, which is what makes an inflatable wearable through a long watch. A 1-F single-point inflator status indicator shows readiness at a glance, and a 3D foam-molded back lining sits comfortably against the spine. Explore more inflatable life jackets.

• Automatic only, firing on contact with water
• Wrong for kayaking where immersion is expected
• Sailing harness sewn in, so a tether clips direct
• Over 40 lb buoyancy, Type V and Type II approved