Want a PFD for flotation in bigger flows? The new Astral Indus is your ticket.
As a longtime Astral fan, at times I would step onto western rivers with my Astral Green jacket and feel like I was only prepared for smaller Southeast flows. With their new Indus, this problem is solved, with 23 lbs. of floatation giving me confidence in buoyancy in case of a swim. Yes the Green jacket is comfortable, and if I’m doing lower volume creeking it still makes sense for me. But for bigger rivers? Enter the Indus…
I received the Indus late last spring and quickly put it to use on four river trips. The shape of the foam within the vest is curved in the exact spot where it locks under a person’s ribs and stays on snug, even when pulled from the shoulder strap or swimming. The larger amount of foam is distributed well, giving shoulder, back and lower neck protection. Movement in any direction is still comfy even with the increased amount of float—this ain’t your old Extrasport high float and surely doesn’t have a pillow in the back. The pull-over-the-head style is a little tougher to put on than a side zip style but feels locked in when you’re wearing it once it has been cinched down.
The tow tether stow snap will feel familiar to Astral rescue vest users, as will the rescue harness. They are the same designs as on the Green jacket and work well. I have enjoyed stowing sunscreen, ear plugs, and paddle wax in the smaller pocket in the front of the life jacket. But it is not as big as the clam shell pocket in the Green jacket. This is fine as I will take the extra foam and stow accessories elsewhere.
I have two carabiners and some webbing for an anchor stowed in the side pockets and use an NRS bungie tow strap hooked to my rear D-ring on this setup. Overall, I am excited about this jacket. In my lineup, I had been using a Stohlquist Descent 2.0 for larger volume or higher water runs like Tumwater Canyon of the Wenatchee or the Skykomish with some flow. The Descent 2.0 had shoulder strap length issues and I was in between an L/XL and XXL size, plus it seemed to ride high. The new Indus feels comfy and stays where you want the PFD to fit your body.
I decided to swim around the takeout eddy and the jacket floats you high on your back in the safe swimming position. It is tougher to get on your chest in flat water and swim overhand but I feel you would be able to make this happen when needed in a real swim, pointing to an eddy or bank and kicking the overhand strokes and kicks into high gear.
The shoulder straps have attachment points for rescue purposes as the Green jacket, an amazing feature. The new knife pocket is low profile and perfect for a folding knife with Velcro over top, keeping the front of your PFD low profile. If you would rather a knife with a sheath it also has a tab for putting that on the outside of the PFD. I chose to put a whistle on a short piece of cord and tuck it into the front pocket where the small throw bag could go for quick grab and use for communication.
The sacrifice with clam shell storage for buoyancy is the most notable difference in this PFD. I do have the small Astral throw bag which does fit in if you want, but on many western rivers I feel the rope is a little short so I chose to carry a longer throw bag with bigger diameter that is easier to grab if you’re a swimmer. Also, when tucking forward (if you are a C-C style rolling person) I found it hard to put my nose on my sprayskirt with the Indus. I can do this when wearing an Astral Green jacket with no problem. So be aware the extra foam in the front doesn’t allow for the full tuck forward.
Stay safe out there on the water and choose your rescue gear and vest wisely. This is a great additional option to those out there doing large volume runs and want extra insurance against a big water swim. Astral thought this vest through thoroughly, taking their time to release exactly what paddlers needed.