Astral Green Jacket Review

In the paddlesports world, it seems like anything with word Green in it pretty much rocks. The Dagger Green boat came on the scene and immediately developed a core following (especially near the epicenter of the Green world….The Green River). The New Astral Buoyancy Green Jacket is another one of these items. It’s not very often that a PFD generates this much hype. There’s a good reason for this however. Astral, which is known to make some of the most progressive, comfortable, highest quality PFD’s in the world, developed this jacket with all of the great features of the old Aqua Vest 300, and also with many new features, like their Foam Tectonics core. If you like the fit of your Newton, Willis or Bella, but are looking for a rescue PFD, you have found the right jacket.

The Specs:

Outer shell: 500 Denier Cordura Nylon

Lining: 200 Denier Nylon

Hardware: Marine Grade Acetal Buckles

Webbing: Nylon

Buoyancy: Minimum of 15.5 lbs of PVC Free Ergonomically Hand Shaped GAIA Foam – Type-V

Sizing: Small/Medium(31″-37″) Medium/Large(38″-44″) Large/Extra Large(45″-51″)

Paddler:Bryan Owen----Photo:Atom Crawford--Oh-Be-Joyful

Pros:

• The Green Jacket is an extremely modified version of the AquaVest 300, with a Foam Tectonics core that is used in the Newton,  Willis and the Bella.  Astral developed these 3 jackets at the same time (Willis, Bella, Green Jacket). Paddlers like Pat Keller had been using the AquaVest extensively, and had some feed back for an improved upon “next gen” PFD. For example, the buoyancy distribution was primarily centered around the bottom of the jacket which was a bit bulky and make it harder to tuck, and get close to the boat when going over bigger drops….Pat Keller Style (i.e-La Paz falls in CR….Google it if you haven’t seen the footage yet). If it works for Pat, it’ll most likely work for you.
• The new Green Jacket utilizes the Foam Tectonics core which distributes the volume of the flotation more broadly. The buoyancy is split into two panels which allows for a greater freedom of movement and lots of torso adjustment. The Newton was the first Astral PFD to use this technology.
• There is more protection on the back and the spine than other rescue PFD’s offer. This will be great for manky Colorado runs. When Astral was designing the Green Jacket they wanted to give it some additional protection compared to the rest of the jackets on the market. After paddling prototypes and samples for a year they came up with back “Flotection“, Astral’s name for technology. Basically, it’s a layer of Nylon, and a layer of PE Foam with thin plastic surrounding it, covered in a layer of Cordura material on the outside for abrasion resistance. Its a bit beveled so that when you paddle or swim you don’t even notice the padding. It’s also comfortable to set your boat on when you’re carrying. The idea is to protect the bony parts of the back,like the scapula. This could really come in handy when you gett flipped on a slide or are upside down in a boulder garden. The yoke (top) is a bit higher in the back than on the Aquavest 300 so you get some extra protection there too. The sides also have Flotection with 2 layers of Cordura, 2 layers of foam, and again the Ballistic material. The inner (lower) foam panel wraps the rib cage to meet the side wings providing additional protection for your ribs and organs.
• The Green Jacket comes in 3 sizes, which means that more people will be able to use it.

The small/medium size is great for women and smaller people.

The medium/ large will fit the typical 6′ tall 175lb paddler, and the

large/XL will protect the big guys (and girls).

• Astral was the first PFD manufacturer to stray from the norm and STOP USING PVC’S! The flotation of the Green Jacket comes from Astral’s own environmentally responsible creation called Gaia foam.  All of the scraps from Gaia and PE (polyethylene) foam that are not used in their PFD’s are saved and recycled into other Astral Products.
• The front the of Green Jacket has a spot to park a tow system. This could be invaluable for instructors who are towing wreckage to shore all day.

Cons:

The GJ has been noted to run a little small. If you are not certain about your sizing call a paddleshop (or us 888.265.2925) and make sure to order the right size. In general they are running 1/2 a size small.

The Verdict:

Class IV/V VI boaters, kayak instructors and anyone who wants a great fitting, ultra durable, rescue PFD with  safety features that are gauranteed to work properly when you need them the most are the target market for the GJ.  If you spend alot of time boat scouting big steamy horizon lines called Gorilla, Sunshine, Paralyzer, Cherry Bomb Gorge or The Hole That Ate Chicago you need a Green Jacket, and some good health insurance.