Dakine Surface Vest

You are probably reading this because you had the snot knocked out of you and you don’t want to drown while you lay there holding your broken ribs, gasping for air. That is the epiphany I had. I decided if I wanted to live I should get one of these. I love this vest. This is my second one. I finally blew out the zipper on the old one after a few too many body slams. I researched and tried on a few other vests before choosing dakine. I found the Dakine vest had the most padding. Some people do not like this, but for me, if I’m going to wear a vest I want the most protection possible. The fit is very tight, which is good. They do loosen a bit over time. I’m 6’1 175 and the large is nice and snug. The tight fit means it doesn’t move around and more importantly it stays close to your body and protects you when you try to beat your buddy’s Woo score and things go horribly wrong. This vest will save you a trip to the ER but I’ve also noticed that it gives me the confidence to try new tricks. Yeah, I look like a big puffy dork, but I don’t care this thing allows me to go big and go home.

Some people said this ran small, so I sized up initially but then had to return it. They’re supposed to be pretty tight, just like wetsuits, so it’s a little tight around my chest when I zip it up (if you have large boobs then maybe size up bc mine aren’t and they get smashed, but it’s not uncomfortable). I’m 5’1” and 120lbs chest is somewhere around 33” or so

Very comfortable, no restriction to arm or body movement, and dries easily. Excellent quality, both in appearance and feel. Nice impact protection for falls while windsurfing and provides adequate buoyancy to prevent fatigue while in the water. Some people have reported it runs small, however, I normally wear a large, and went with large for this vest. I like a snug feel, so this works well. If you are on the edge of their size chart or don’t like a tighter fit, go one size larger than your normal.

I have had this vest for a couple years now and have been very pleased with it. It gets used a lot and it has held up well. Highly recommend!

Love the jacket but it fit my wife. Not even close to fitting me and she's a size zero 117 lb.Definitely need to measure your chest before you order I would say adult male that wears a large shirt would need 2X in this product.I ordered a large. I'm almost positive the 1XL will not fit either.

I haven't used this in the water yet, but did try it on dry. I know it is supposed to be tight, but I could barely get it zipped up. I were an XL/XXL shirt and thought this would be a little small/tight, but it is really tight. I think it may loosen once wet a little.

I bought this for kite boarding and am really happy. It fits perfectly with a harnass, provides just the right amount of buoyancy and doesn't restrict my movement. I have a 39" chest and a 31" waist and at first thought it was too tight (which it is supposed to be), but after I got used to it, I'm so glad that I didn't go larger.

This PFD is great. Use it for catamaran sailing and I actually forget I have it on because it is so comfortable and light weight.

Exactly what I wanted!