The Spinlock Deckvest 6d has a distinctive style and appearance that may divide people, you either love it or you don't But we test it and discovered what's really behind this iconic looking lifejacket casing.
Spinlock Deckvest 6D lifejacket – tested
Spinlock Deckvest 6D lifejacket
Dry Testing
Shoreside the lifejacket when packed has quite a rigid feel and is notably substantial in the hand. (1.3kg) The sculpted shape of it makes it a bit of a space hog in a kit bag. It comes with it’s own mesh bag for cupboard hanging and stowage.
Alex comments, “the side adjusters are prone to coming loose, you need to really make sure the buckles are tight.”
Fox shore side comments, “the little add-on stowage pocket is ideal for a plb and could probably fit a sailing knife in there too. Also maybe a small snack and a book for when you’re waiting to be rescued.”
The casing feels sturdy and well constructed. The adjusters are easy to move and lock in place. The range of adjustment is very good and will fit a slimmer form all the way up to a much larger body. It comes in a range of colour options so if the bright yellow isn’t to your taste you can opt for something a little less flashy.
Pool Testing
Fox in pool test comments: “This flipped me over really very fast. It feels really secure and the fitment is snug. I like the pylon light and the lumeon bladder illumination, the antenna light is a standout feature. The sprayhood is very easy to reach with a useful lanyard and easy to pull over the bladder. It’s comfortable all round in the water. You can’t miss the lifting strop and it’s easy to find the onboard essentials.”
This lifejacket has the facility for a harness release system (HRS), so that should you find yourself being dragged along in the water by your tether then you can trip this release and set yourself free. Which is great as long as your crew can actually get back to rescue you.
In the pool this lifejacket was outstanding in every aspect. From autoinflation rate to roll over and surfacing of casualty. The fit remained secure and stable in the pool and the Sprayhood was easy to find. All of the essential items have been well placed for intuitive use.
Spinlock Deckvest 6D lifejacket
Price from £219.95 or £239.95 with HRS
How our lifejacket scored on average out of 10 for each of our criteria
8 – Adjust speed ease difficulty
8 – Fastening buckle ease with gloves
7 – Comfort women body size (when tested by men 4)
8 – Practicality. bulk snagging
7 – Manual inflated view and fitment
10 – Sprayhood
9 – PLB fitment
8 – Positioning of essential items
7 – Night view / reflectors / light (if fitted)
6 – Ease of checking bottle / trigger status
4 – Unpacking / repacking
9 – Style
10 – In water score (due to being tested alongside other higher spec models)
84% Total as a percentage
Verdict
This is an outstanding lifejacket with great performance across the score board. The standout features are the lighting, both elevated and lumeon, lighting the entire bladder. The essentials are labels and easy to find and this feels like a lifejacket that has really been designed with the user in mind. Every query has been answered. If we were challenged to find a way to improve this, we’re really not sure how we would.
