We had a Coast Guard guy at out flyfishing club last month. He is a kayaker and was a strong advocate of the self inflating vests. Apparently the CG is issuing them as standard equipment. According to him these Type III vests are light enough and cool enough that people wear them. They also do not require that you be concious when you hit the water as they inflate automatically. They have about the same floatation as an old Type I. They do require annual maintanence and are pricey.

David