[Alberg30] SOSpenders Questions

[Neal Jackson]

My dear sweet wife is threatening to get me as a birthday present a set of
SOSpenders with both the harness and automatic inflation features (if she
does I will soon reciprocate).  

I do not plan to resist, though I originally thought they were overkill, as
our sailing is on the Chesapeake.  But we may in the future wander off into
rougher waters, and I must confess that some fall sails with PEREGRINE have
been unexpectedly challenging, especially when I have been running around
the deck in some transitory emergency, grabbing whatever I could to stay on
board.

But I am interested in the collective experience, if any, of others
Albergers with this item.  My most specific questions are these:

1.  Does the automatic inflation feature on these work reliably?  I have
heard that sometimes water spray or a wave will trigger the feature.  But
are we only talking blue water storms here?  I also heard that the
technology of this feature has recently improved.  Has it?

2.  How about fitting?  I have a long torso, but it does not seem to me that
there is a great advantage to having the suspenders reach, say, all the way
to the waist.  Some models come in a "long" version, others don't.  Does it
really matter.  Remember, I am getting the one with the harness.

3.  I notice that West Marine has a co-branded version. It looks like it is
the same as the one from SOSpenders.  It isn't much cheaper, though I have
seen it more often on sale.  Is it as good as the ones branded only as
SOSpenders? 

Any random thoughts would be appreciated.  I think this is one safety
element to which I have not paid enough attention.
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