[fatlazyless]

Pfd's are good for keeping you vertically afloat, and help a lot to keep you more warm but are not all that good for swimming. Swim belts are okay for swimming because they center their flotation at your waist but almost always have too much flotation and make swimming not too easy.

The #1 best swim belt ever used in the world history of swimming is an el cheapo 2" foam noodle, 24 to 36" long and tied tight around the waist with a good quality line threaded down the center hole. For swimming you want to have just a slight amount of positive buoyancy tied tight around the waist for the correct water buoyancy balance just like a Navy submarine.

When swimming alone out where you cannot stand on the bottom is always safer to go with a foam noodle swim belt. For about three dollars you've got an excellent swim belt that will keep you safe in cold and windy water, encourage swimming and make you a better stronger swimmer.

The great majority of all people, world-wide are pretty lousy swimmers but will not admit it and a foam noodle swim belt will automatically make you a much better and safer swimmer. Unless you are very energized, do the much more restful breast stroke or side stroke and save the overhand crawl for showing off.