I was on the fence about them and family (non riding members) were all on insistant that I have one. I got the Hit Air lite because of it being the cheapest. I figured that in order to shut everyone and not pay out the nose that was the best option. Does that make sense? I think the prices on some of those safety type products are exorbitant.
Definitely try a test blow if you can. The sensation can be off putting.
It’s not the physics that bother me - it is the selling hype and the sponsorship where they get their sponsorees to go on tv and tout the vest (slipped in between an interview), that it definitely saved their lives when they took a fall.
I’d like to know there was more real data. How mainstream amongst ULR’s have they become?
Before even thinking about buying an air vest, I ditched my Tipperary and went out and bought a certified/tested xc vest. Ended up with a racesafe, which I love.
For me the air vest is just a big of a confidence booster, and gives me hope that it prevent me from being a little less sore in an event of a fall. If it saves my life or keeps me from ending up in the hospital, then great. In reality it just makes me feel better when I “buckle up” at a beginning of a xc ride.
I bought a Hit Air last January at PC annual meeting where I had the opportunity to be blown up in both. I liked the Hit Air because there is a little more freedom in it, the fact that it was cheaper than the Point Two, and probably the only purple Hit Air on the face of the Earth helped a bit too ;). I watched a girl last year at a big event come off her horse at an up bank out of the water, and she as soon as her Point Two went off she started screaming and vomiting because it put her in full panic mode. That being said if she had been wearing a Hit Air I may have ended up with the Point Two. Who knows!
I watched a girl last year at a big event come off her horse at an up bank out of the water, and she as soon as her Point Two went off she started screaming and vomiting because it put her in full panic mode
This may seem trivial, but is one of my big worries about this sort of vest. Add a broken rib, a tendency towards claustrophobia (guilty) and this kind of panic can be VERY real and VERY dangerous.
It’s why if I were FORCED to choose one at this point, I would a) resign my membership in the USEA and go back to the jumpers or b) go with the exploding-outward kind. 
Because of this I would only buy hit air that explodes outward. Maybe for a man with stronger chest area muscles and thicker bones exploding inward is not that much of an issue but I would hate it.
Maybe I’m made of tougher stuff, but it doesn’t bother me. Especially now that I’m (unfortunately) used to it. The first time it happened I may have tried to hyperventilate and I COULD NOT get my pinny untied, but I was also seriously, seriously pissed off (worked all year to qualify for a P3DE, drove 10 hours, spendt GOBS of money…and fell at the 10th fence), which I think contributed to the winded feeling. It definitely knocks the wind out of you for a beat, but if you KNOW that, it isn’t too bad. But, like I said, I might be a little tougher and I’m used to it.
I would be wearing the airbag vest alone, not over a body protector vest.
Yeah. That might make a difference. I DO like having the layer between me and it! (No matter how much I grumble as I’m getting ready).
What Rayers said…we got along fine without them for so long…research is nil and shady. Would love some solid proof of what they actually do. You can’t say whether it is the air vest or the under vest that is helping, that is what frustrates me when people say they saved their life or cushioned their fall. Unless you were wearing just the air vest, you cant be certain of that.
that is what frustrates me when people say they saved their life or cushioned their fall.
I can’t speak for saving lives. But, I’ve fallen off enough times to know what kind of fall is going to make me go “That’s gonna smart”. It is anecdotal, at best, but I feel comfortable saying that at least in one fall, I was not gimping around like an old lady for a week afterwards because of my air vest. I’ve fallen, and HARD, in just a regular vest, and while I know they protect me (I’m sure I was saved some cracked ribs a time or two with the force I’ve hit fixed objects), that does not mean I’m not beat up.
I do think HOW you fall also plays a part. Getting tossed into a jump and having a nice cushy bubble to bounce you off an oxer rail? Yeah. That should save you some aches and pains. Getting pile drived and Mach 3 into the turf, head first? Yeah…the bubble doesn’t do much.
Not saying I don’t agree that they need REAL testing. And I’m not convinced they are perfect and wonderful and life saving and blah blah blah. I also tend to agree that the marketing is rampant and ridiculous. But, I do think mine has helped me. Experience (the many falls I’ve taken in a crash vest and how I’ve felt after them vs the falls I’ve had with crash vest and air vest and how I’ve felt after THOSE falls) does have something to say.
I hope to never, ever have the experience on whether or not it saves my life. I’m totally cool with it helping me take 2 Advil at the end of the day instead of eating it like candy :winkgrin:
And, again, I scored with my vest. It was free, thanks to a quick thinking former employer. I wouldn’t have one, otherwise.
I’m just extremely tired of people mentioning how ‘stupid’ they think it is to run XC without one. It’s akin to discussing politics and being told that my opinions are ‘stupid’ because they aren’t the same opinions of the other person.
We may disagree, but just because my opinions are not the same as yours regarding air vests, my opinions are not ‘stupid’, they are well thought out to a different conclusion.
(This is not directed to anyone in particular on here, but is rather directed towards the pervasive attitude regarding these vests elsewhere.)
For the record, I run Intermediate and Advanced without a vest.
Does anyone have experience with the AirNest? It’s made by Helite, who, if I understand correctly, was the manufacturer for Point Two until recently. I’ve been told the AirNest is the same jacket, but sells for $549 instead of $700ish. Anybody in the know–is it really the same or better?
[QUOTE=Snugglerug;7069093]
Does anyone have experience with the AirNest? It’s made by Helite, who, if I understand correctly, was the manufacturer for Point Two until recently. I’ve been told the AirNest is the same jacket, but sells for $549 instead of $700ish. Anybody in the know–is it really the same or better?[/QUOTE]
The Helite is the original P2. P2 licensed the vest under a marketing agreement. Helite sued P2 for license violations and to bring the patents back under their domain. P2 actually does not own any of the technology it purports other than the inflation mechanism. They are simply the marketing g group in the US.
I wear my airvest alone everytime I ride. I have a hit air (the lite version that doesn’t come down as far) (its the $419 version from Smartpak). I am overly safety conscious. I am an ER RN, and lost my trainer to a fall at the radnor CCI in 98. Anyway. I wear an EXO cage with airvest XC, and used to ride in a CO vest everyday until these airvest became available. It’s lite, not hot, and makes me feel better. I had a pretty nasty fall last year where my horse jumped a fence and got the rail caught between her front legs. We both went down. My airvest deployed, I stood up, and felt fine. I can honestly say its the first fall I have had in a while that I didn’t ache afterwards. (I’m not as young as I used to be). YOU have to be comfortable with your decision. I justified the cost by looking at my ER co-pay (which is ridiculous), and looking at the fact that I also the mother to 2 very young kids. (That job offers absolutely no sick time or vacation pay for downtime). I know the vest won’t save me in all cases, but so far has done a pretty good job keeping me in working mode! 
Good luck with your decision. I do love it, my husband is an engineer, and we think its a pretty intelligent design/idea.
I will add that the only 2 months I didn’t wear my airvest was when I was breaking my 4yo mare 2 years ago. I was really glad the one time that it wasn’t on, as I did an emergency dismount to keep her from pulling me off on a gate as she tried to run through it. Once I was certain that an emergency dismount was unlikely needed, I started wearing it again. I used my regular crash vest in place of my airvest during that time. It was march and April which made the heat problem a non-issue. The above would be one good reason not to have the airvest on. While I still could have jumped off with the airvest, I would have hesitated before doing so just due to the cost of replacing canisters, and potentially delayed too long. I don’t want economics playing into the equation, so I removed that variable!
[QUOTE=RAyers;7069127]
They are simply the marketing g group in the US.[/QUOTE]
Not a very good one at that.
I agree. The airvest companies aren’t good at marketing. I ignore the marketing as its irrelevant to weighing the pros and cons of wearing a vest.
I’ve been influenced by my own personal experience and the reports of others who wear the vests. I have read all sorts of arguments against the vests, and made my own decision.
I wish we could get funding to do more independent research. In the meantime, I wear the hit air.
[QUOTE=Winding Down;7070006]
I agree. The airvest companies aren’t good at marketing. I ignore the marketing as its irrelevant to weighing the pros and cons of wearing a vest.
I’ve been influenced by my own personal experience and the reports of others who wear the vests. I have read all sorts of arguments against the vests, and made my own decision.
I wish we could get funding to do more independent research. In the meantime, I wear the hit air.[/QUOTE]
Then you might consider supporting the Equestrian Medical Safety Association. It is a group of medical professionals and horsemen dedicated to such investigations. They hosted the air vest seminar at the most recent USEA convention.
[QUOTE=RAyers;7070081]
Then you might consider supporting the Equestrian Medical Safety Association. It is a group of medical professionals and horsemen dedicated to such investigations. They hosted the air vest seminar at the most recent USEA convention.[/QUOTE]
Are they planning to evaluate air vest safety?
