There’s a handful of good buoyancy aids out there, all tailored to dinghy sailors, and Mustang Survival’s Podium 50 fits right in with the best of them. It conforms well to your upper body and has minimal thickness on the back and shoulder straps, just what you want for swiftly getting under the boom or on the rail, as that significantly reduces the chances of getting hung up on a mainsheet or other lines. The longer we wore it, the more comfortable it seemed to get. And, importantly, when you’re in the water, it stays put–no riding up.
You’ll like the front zip, which makes it easy to don and remove the vest, especially when trying to make quick layering changes or adjustments between races. And Mustang went with a large zipper, one you can easily operate, even while wearing sailing gloves.
Another perk is that the zipper is offset, which allows the front pocket to be larger than if it was centered. There’s plenty of room for anything you might want to carry while dinghy sailing: SIs, energy bar, etc. The only niggle, and it’s a small one, is that because the pocket is offset, it’s a little easier for right-handers to access than southpaws. Certainly not a deal-breaker though. Inside the pocket is a small loop to attach a lanyard and whistle. Nice detail.
There are two other less obvious pockets. First is one on the outside of the vest, just to the right of the zipper. It’s the perfect size for a sailing knife or something similar. It has a Velcro closure to keep anything there in place, and like the main pocket, there’s an inside rope loop as an attachment point. Just inside the left-hand zipper is another pocket, this one large enough to hold a cellphone. Even though it’s inside the vest, it would be reassuring to have a velcro closure on this one as well.
The vest has a polyester outer shell and mesh lining to help keep you cool when the weather’s not. Side panels (beneath each arm) are stretch mesh and feature a crossed-webbing system, which we found really holds the vest in place, and there are drain holes at the bottom of each side panel. We did find the Podium 50 run a bit on the small side, so keep that in mind when selecting a size. All in all, it’s a great buoyancy aid option. Sizes J-XL. $124.99
Editor’s note: Mustang Survival states: This buoyancy aid is ISO-approved and meets the ISO12402-5 international standards. However, when used in North America, boaters must also have a properly fitting TC approved (Canada), a USCG approved (USA), or a Harmonized approved (both Canada and USA) PFD for each person onboard.
