Featuring easy adjustment and ample storage yet retaining a slim designthe Palm Axis Extrem bouyancy aid is now a prized addition to the gear bag.

I wanted a lower profile bouyancy aid, which afforded a larger range of movement. Both my white water and sea bouyancy aids included padding/bouyancy over the shoulders and felt restrictive and bulky.

It also needed to be dual purpose, and as such include features such as chest harness that are not normally found on Sea/touring pfd’s. I also wanted sufficient storage on the bouyancy aid for a compass, knife, whistle, chocolate and vhf radio. Was this going to be possible?

The Palm Axis Extrem was actually one I discounted early on. George at the Woodmill shop highlighted it as one of their best sellers, however it looked too complicated with a range of straps. However, as I worked my way through the other possibilities the combination of features and price made it the ideal choice.

It has a large amount of bouyancy (75n) yet remains low profile. The large pocket on the front easily swallows my VHF, as well as other small items and has d-rings and a removeable key clip.

The shoulders have comfort padding that remains low profile and the active cut allows a full range of movement when paddling. On the rear, reflective tape will aid safety when paddling in low light or at night.

The bouyancy aid is over the head, so not as easy to remove when in the boat, however it has a great range of adjustment, cleverly designed to be accessible when on the water.

The chest harness is present for when I do hit white water, but does not get in the way when out on the sea.

On the rear of the bouyancy aid, there is a lash tab for attaching lights for night paddling.

This was undoubtedly the most comfortable of the bouyancy aids I tried on and has felt ‘right’ since day one of use. I still have my 5 pocket ‘old school’ bouyancy aid to hand if I needed the storage space, but the increased feeling of freedom and movement from a lower profile PFD can’t be beaten.

Features include:

• >75N Soft foam buoyancy.
• Adjustable Easy Glide™ padded neoprene shoulder straps.
• Adjustable Easy Glide™ glide and chest straps.
• Easy Glide™ Chest Harness with quick release cam buckle and load spreader.
• Karabiner retainer.
• Front zip fastened pocket with internal and zip fastened external stretch mesh pockets.
• Two “D” rings and security hook contained within the pocket.
• Lash Tab to secure a flash light etc.
• Fast draining mesh inner lining.
• Reflective tape on shoulder straps
• Reflective piping around pocket.

Fabrics: Shell: 550D Ripstop Cordura®.
Colour: Mango/Black

Price: £99.95