New Palm rescue 850 & 825 Review

In October at the Kayak Trade Show we were able to take a look at the new Palm PFDs for professional swiftwater rescue teams. As always the Palm R&D department have been listening to what people want and have succeeded in improving on their rescue 800 jacket, which is considered one of the best rescue PFDs in the professional market.

The first major change is that Palm have updated the fit of the new jackets to improve freedom of movement whilst still keeping the high amount of floatation. In particular the shoulder straps are now easier to adjust and have a nice pocket to tuck away the end of the strap. Both models now come standard with removable crotch straps, which is without a doubt the best way of preventing the jacket riding up on an unconscious person. The 825 model (left hand photo) has a similar buckle and pocket layout as the current 800 model, with the addition of a velcro identification attachment panel on the back.

The 850 model (right hand photo) has two pockets on the front of the jacket, an internal pocket and one pocket on the rear, also with a velcro identification attachment panel on it. This looks like a much better set up for teams who like each rescuer to carry personal rescue equipment with them rather than relying solely on using equipment carried in the team bag.

Like all palm jackets the construction is very high quality, ISO & CE approved. Both the 850 and the 825 will be available from March 2011 in three sizes XS/S, M/L & XL/XXL.