ProView – Astral Bowen Review

With skis and kayaks, a quiver is often necessary. Creek boat, river runner, playboat, sea kayak – a tool for each environment. However, when it comes to a PFD, I’m actually ANTI-quiver. I want one that is packed and ready for whatever adventure awaits. Having one eliminates the decisions and ensures that I actually have all the bits and pieces I think I do. Nothing’s worse than having a watch with a dead battery, or realizing that your knife is in the OTHER PFD. This system works, provided that ‘the one’ PFD will work in all the environments that you play in.  

Over the past almost 3 decades, I’ve used and destroyed a number of PFDs from a handful of manufacturers.  Some were okay, but most were lackluster. Buckles that break and zippers that fail.  Pockets poorly designed that hold nothing. Or fall open spilling contents.  

Six years ago, I upgraded to an Astral GreenJacket. For me, the clamshell storage was game changing. Coupled with great fit, and a thoughtful design, it quickly went from being my hard-core creeking PFD to my ‘all the time’ PFD. Creeking, yes. But also river running, raft guiding, seakayaking and even playboating. A full-blown rescue vest was serious overkill for what I was doing, but there wasn’t anything else that came close to Astral’s design and quality. 

Enter the Bowen. 

What I Like

After spending the day paddling the Bottom Moose – our local Class V run – followed by a casual flatwater paddle, it’s my new favorite ‘do anything’ PFD.  And more importantly, the Bowen does it all well. Why is the Bowen my new go-to?  A quick three: It fits well, the clamshell storage is awesome, and it’s built to last.  

Superb Fit

Separating the upper half of the floatation from the wrap-around torso section makes a PFD that moves with you but also stays in place and doesn’t bunch or ride up. Three webbing buckles allow precise tightening to keep everything in place.  A nice feature is the color coded quick release buckles that allow side entry. The wrap around torso protects your ribs, but also is snug/flat enough that it doesn’t rub you elbows or interfere with movement.  A serious win. 

Incredible Storage

Probably my favorite part is what it shares with (inherited from?) the GreenJacket – the clamshell pocket. The front flap folds out flat to create a shelf that allows you to see everything yet not have all the contents fall out when it’s opened – a key feature.  One zipper mesh pocket the width of the clamshell with a clip for keys is perfect for phone / bars / chapstick / keys / etc.  The backside has top opening pockets and a sewn strip for longer items or tying stuff to – perfect for a knife, whistle, or clipping a handheld VHF radio. Things you need quickly, but don’t want the added security of a pocket within a pocket. The clamshell is secure storage without being obtrusive or in the way.  Win number two.

Durability

Lastly, I appreciate that the Bowen is made of lightweight yet robust materials that are designed to last. The stitching is solid. The zippers and buckles are high quality. Using PVC-Free Gaia foam is a bonus and Astral is a BlueSign system partner – both impressive.  Astral is working towards keeping toxic materials out of our environment. I’d argue that building a product that doesn’t fall apart and get thrown in the trash is an equally important part of that equation. Astral receives two enthusiastic thumbs up in that regard. My GreenJacket has taken years of abuse and is still going strong. Based on what I see with the Bowen, I’m confident that it will also give me years of faithful service without issue.  

What I Don’t Like

Is it perfect?  No.  It’s pretty close, but I’ll nitpick.  

There are little tabs of Velcro on the ends of the webbing. The thought is to keep the ends from flapping around, which it does. However – when the webbing is fully extended and the Velcro tab / end is next to the buckle, it sticks to the webbing itself. Thus, when you’re reaching to tighten the webbing straps, they are harder to grasp. A great concept, but personally I think it’s a solution looking for a problem and not necessary. 

When would I NOT want a Bowen? If I was going to a remote or poorly traveled Class VI/V run where strainers, sieves, and other hazards warrant a full blown rescue vest I would want a GreenJacket. (Or the new Indus if it’s really big water!) Or, if I needed a very low volume PFD for aerobatic playboating or squirtboating. You *could* use the Bowen, but 16 lbs of buoyancy might make mystery moves difficult! However – for almost everything I’m doing on the river, I think the Bowen perfectly fits the bill.  River running? Absolutely. Local class five pool drop? Yup. Raft guiding? Totally. Flatwater and Seakayaking? Yes!  The Bowen has all the functionality, thoughtful design, and features to perform when you need it.  Oh, and it looks good. 

The Final Word

The Astral Bowen is my new go-to PFD.  With a superb fit, outstanding storage, thoughtful design and robust materials, I’m expecting it to stay as my go-to PFD for years to come.  

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All photos taken by: Adsit Media Works

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