Onyx Kayak Fishing Life Jacket – USCGA PFD/Life Jacket with Multiple Pockets, High-Back Design & Adjustable Straps for Paddle Sports & Fishing

This jacket is the real deal. Worth every penny. Great fit, comfortable, lightweight, tons of pockets for gear and phone. It’s a steal for the price. Very sharp looking. It’s nicer the some of my regular life jackets I’ve paid over 100.00 for for my bass tournaments on my Ranger bass boat. I’ll be wearing this on the bass boat now. The zipper is quick and easy. Well. Amazing jacket. It does not disappoint!!!!

This life jacket feels really well made right out of the box. The outer material has a sturdy, slightly textured feel, but it’s still soft enough that it doesn’t rub or scratch your skin while you move. The padding is firm but not bulky, and the high-back design works perfectly with a kayak seat — it sits above the backrest so nothing digs in. The straps adjust smoothly and stay put once you tighten them, so the fit feels secure without being restrictive. The mesh panels keep it breathable, and it never feels overly hot or heavy even after wearing it for a while. The pockets are surprisingly roomy and easy to open, with a nice crisp zipper that doesn’t snag. Overall, it feels comfortable, stable, and built for real movement on the water. A great pick for kayaking or fishing.

I tried on at least a dozen PFD's locally. Only about 3 were tolerable enough to buy. But I also didn't want to spend $90+ on a PFD as I'm just getting into kayaking. I use my sit on top kayak for fishing and wanted a PFD with several pockets to hold some lures, pliers, safety whistle, etc. This seem to fit the bill. My local sporting goods store had other ONYX PFD's but not this model, so I could verify the quality of the brand. Advice: A friend advised me to get the best quality PFD I could afford, or I would regret kayaking with it. He suggested I buy one with adjustable shoulder straps and to make sure it had a pocket to hold a safety whistle. He also suggested a mesh lower back for the high seat I have on my Yak. After trying some on, I could tell his advise was sound. - I also found that adjustable shoulder straps are almost exclusively found on the better PFD's. Sizing: I'm 5'-8" and about 198 pounds, and I found most PFD's fit so small, I could barely get them on. With the ONYX brand, the "Large-XL" size fit fine in the store, but unfortunately, this PFD does not follow the same sizing conventions. The "Universal" size fit's chests from 30" - 52" and the "Oversize" fits 40" - 60" - I have about 46-48" chest so according to their chart, could have bought either one. But based on my experience with how small PFD's seem to run, I opted for the "Oversize". I'm happy to report that this fits me perfect! Their's plenty of strap left to fit MUCH larger people. I have no idea if the padded portion is actually larger between the two sizes, or just the length of straps. Wish the local stores had them so I could compare. Pricing: I bought this for $55 and felt it was a bargain based on what I saw locally and the overall quality and functionality. This is easily as nice as the best PFD's I saw locally in the $90-$110 price range. Usability: I've used my PFD a few times now and love it! It has all the pockets I need, and is so comfortable, I forget I'm wearing it. I used it for fishing today and bought a Plano Pocket Stowaway 5 Compartment Utility Box which fits perfectly in the drop down panel on the left side of the PFD. If you don't fish, you can store a huge phone in that pocket. I have an iPhone 6+ and it fit fine there. It's also really easy to access there. The drop down has two different stretch material holders. One is like a pocket, the other like a strap. The drop down panel works really well and it's like having a little table to set your gear on while switching up your lures. On the right side of the PFD, I stored my whistle in the top pocket, and pliers in one of the two bottom pockets. The arm cutouts are so large that nothing rubs while paddling or casting. The half-sized back pad is up high enough that it doesn't interfere with my seat back. Another feature of this PFD is that it has felt lined "hand pockets" much like a jacket (albeit a bit on the small side). I haven't used them yet, but someday if it's chilly out, I'm sure I will. I did not come across any other PFD with this feature. Conclusion: I can't recommend this PFD enough. Even if you don't use it for fishing, you'll likely find other things to use the pockets for. The overall quality rivals other PFD's that are twice the price. The colors even look good. This is by far the best PFD I've seen in my limited experience, but feel I'll use this for a long, long time.

I wanted a life vest that was CG approved. I did not want one I HOPED would work when it gets wet or depended on me pulling a cord to inflate (in case I was unconcious) or deal with expired Co2 cartridges. For the price, it had to be durable and used year after year without zipper or material issues. Had to have a way to attach phone in waterproof case if I went overboard. Highly adjustable and comfortable in a fishing kayak. Able to stow fishing tools like: Line clippers, folding knife, forcepts, etc. Have some orange coloring somewhere on it. Flip me on my back if unconscious. This life vest checks all the boxes. I've worn this a lot, tested it up to 230 lbs and have owned it since November 2020 without ANY complaint other than I wish I didn't have to wear a life jacket at all. I have a fishing kayak and life jackets are a must unless you are an idiot. I've flipped my kayak standing too close to the nose (and they say it won't flip?) It was close to shore that time but I'm always finding myself in the middle of big lakes with speed boats, yachts, skiers, and the dreaded jet skiers, etc. , most of them likely drunk ( judged so by their carelessness) and courtesy the last thing on their mind. If you want to live another day to fish, get this.

Life jacket with pockets! Like a fishing vest that’s also coast guard approved life vest! Great quality. Adjustable fit, I’m 6’3l jumbo size man and what I ordered fit just fine connectors and zippers all work great even with wet or muddy fingers... Kayak and boat use in Florida water ways. Don’t know if it’s Gator proof! If a gator does try, I’ll let you know!

This is easily the best life jacket. I have ever bought. It is so comfortable and all of the pockets are perfect size for my phone and other things I carry especially fishing. i have free range of everywhere to move my arms. The material and the value that this life jacket holds is definitely worth it.

Great life jacket for bigger guys and kayaking!!! Works great for paddling and a great fit. I like the pockets and overall functionality of this life jacket!!!

When outfitting my new Shearwater 125 fishing kayak, it came time to upgrade from a standard PDF to a fishing-specific model. NRS makes a great fishing PFD, but the price point and options that the Onyx offered made me go that route, and I'm glad I did. The multiple pouches are perfect for a tethered cell phone, plyers, safety whistle, and my marine radio. It is a comfortable fit and not overly bulky in the lumbar area (important for kayak fishing). I don't use the fold open pouch much, but it could hold a small Plano tackle box or a fly-fishing case easily. One overlooked feature are the felt-lined pockets to keep your hands out of the wind. They don't provide much warmth because the pockets aren't against your body, but they do help keep your hands dry. Out of all the item's I've purchased for kayak fishing, the Onyx is one of my favorites because it get's a lot of use and still looks brand new, it's functional with lots of storage, and costs half of what other kayak fishing PFD's cost.