By c1 guy from boston, ma on 6/26/2011

Size: Feels true to size

I bought this to use with my racing/slalom c1.

I like that the buoyancy is spread over my chest AND abdomen. And because the vest snugly holds it all in place, none of it interferes with paddling. Traditional c1 "pfd"s can be cut so low they fail to fit and the flotation is only piled up around my abdomen (which for me gets in the way). Another big plus of the Xcel vest was that when doing some Eskimo rolls, the vest stays tightly on my torso. It didn't float up to my ears like my old c1 vest did. I didn't have to readjust - which is appreciated while navigating rapids.
The horizontal baffles are great. A clever way to add buoyancy without sacrificing flexibility. The 1mm neoprene and wide arm openings don't  hinder my arms or shoulders. And it provided a degree or two of warmth, which was welcomed.