Another Avy Bag Question

[Free Rider]

I was thinking about it the other day. I'm not sure if there has been any testing done but would an avy bag help or hinder you if you were in the water. I would think they would put a person face down in the water and greatly increase the chance of drowning.

 

[Wilk INStheWEST]

Interesting.....Depends on the bag. I think ABS and BCA would put you on your face, as well as the Snowpulse RAS system. The Snowpulse horseshoe design would likely float you on your back, since most of the bag is wrapped around your shoulders and down your chest.

 

[norona]

They are not designed for water, if you jumped in water or fell in a lake and deployed any of the bags they would probably not full deploy since the venturi system which is similar on all of them would likely be blocked by the water and create a partial inflate, they would not do very well in that situation. But also not designed for that situation.

 

[Free Rider]

They are not designed for water, if you jumped in water or fell in a lake and deployed any of the bags they would probably not full deploy since the venturi system which is similar on all of them would likely be blocked by the water and create a partial inflate, they would not do very well in that situation. But also not designed for that situation.

I understand they are not designed for this application. But if you were riding and went through ice into a lake do you think even a partial inflation would help?

 

[norona]

well you would not sink, which is a big plus, and you could also take the pack off and hang onto it, it is important to note that the type of avy bag you own does not guarantee how you will end up on the snow or how you will travel down an avy path. The idea that you will float on your back with a system that comes out behind your head is false as in an avy big enough to take you down you will be rag dolling like you were in a washing machine, the most important thing with an avy bag is that You will end up on top and that all that matters.

 

[tater]

If you think of kids life jacket the flap that is behind there head is what makes float face up in water... So in theory you should be face up.. But what do i know.

 

[Wilk INStheWEST]

If you think of kids life jacket the flap that is behind there head is what makes float face up in water... So in theory you should be face up.. But what do i know.

It's actually the floatation on the front of the jacket (chest) that makes you float face up in the water, the flap on the back just helps to hold the head up out of the water, in case you are unconscious.

 

[Highfly]

When we took our avy class we talked about a slide that hit a lake and blew right through it killing a few people on the other side! So yes it is possible to end up in water!

As far as pulling the pack off.... You would be gasping uncontrollably from the shock of the cold water, you would probably drown before you got it off.

Edit

Off of the internet...

During Cold Water Shock a person will gasp for breath and may experience muscle spasms and a rise in heart rate and blood pressure. The instant muscle spasms and gasp reflux occurs can cause a person to involuntary ingest water and drown. A rise in heart rate and blood pressure can result in a heart attack or stroke.

 

[norona]

When we took our avy class we talked about a slide that hit a lake and blew right through it killing a few people on the other side! So yes it is possible to end up in water!

As far as pulling the pack off.... You would be gasping uncontrollably from the shock of the cold water, you would probably drown before you got it off.

Edit

Off of the internet...

During Cold Water Shock a person will gasp for breath and may experience muscle spasms and a rise in heart rate and blood pressure. The instant muscle spasms and gasp reflux occurs can cause a person to involuntary ingest water and drown. A rise in heart rate and blood pressure can result in a heart attack or stroke.

You can obviously make up situations all day, which are good to look at and is why good decisions and line choices of safe backcountry travel are so important, this situation has happened to two groups of skiers I know, both times people ended up dead! An air bag can keep you on top of the snow but it is not a guarantee that you will survive every bad situation just like all the other avy gear out there. Choosing where to ride on the day due to what you see and the avy bulletin and being able to change your goal for the day to something more mellow if the conditions look bad is a much better way to stay alive.

 

[Free Rider]

When we took our avy class we talked about a slide that hit a lake and blew right through it killing a few people on the other side! So yes it is possible to end up in water!

As far as pulling the pack off.... You would be gasping uncontrollably from the shock of the cold water, you would probably drown before you got it off.

Edit

Off of the internet...

During Cold Water Shock a person will gasp for breath and may experience muscle spasms and a rise in heart rate and blood pressure. The instant muscle spasms and gasp reflux occurs can cause a person to involuntary ingest water and drown. A rise in heart rate and blood pressure can result in a heart attack or stroke.

This is kinda what I was thinking. The bag would have you floating on your stomach and you would end up drowning before you could get it off.

 

[RGM]

Thats how Trudeau died . Not sure if they ever did get his body out of the lake.