Follow these simple steps:

1. Loosen all straps before you put your jacket on.
2. Push the bulk of the flotation below your chest.
3. Tighten the top torso strap first.
4. Take the loose slack out of all other straps.
5. When finished the bulk of flotation should remain beneath your chest for the best comfort and most enjoyable experience.

All of our products are guaranteed against any manufacturing defects and are covered under warranty for the lifetime of the product. Please complete our Warranty form to get the process started.

Proper care and storage your jacket will help your jacket to maintain its structural integrity and buoyancy. It’s easy, here are a few tips:

1. If you used your vest in salt water or water that seems especially dirty, rinse your jacket thoroughly with fresh water. (If you just used it in relatively clean fresh water, you can skip this step.)
2. Thoroughly dry your jacket after each use.
3. Store your jacket in a cool and dry place.
4. Do not keep your jacket in direct sun for prolonged periods of time.
5. Avoid unnecessary compression of the jacket, especially during storage,
6. Do not store your jacket in extreme heat.

Your jacket can be cleaned with a mixture of a mild detergent soap and warm water. A nylon bristle brush is helpful to break up the stains if you are hand cleaning. Do not use a household top-loading style washer with an agitator as it will destroy your jacket. Hang to air dry.

Prior to using your rescue jacket it is essential to receive proper training in swiftwater rescue. We recommend taking a course in swiftwater rescue offered by both:

• American Canoe Association
• Rescue 3 International

Astral also includes a short user’s manual with our rescue jackets which cover some of the applicable uses and techniques. 
Click here for a PDF version.

There are many types of river knives on the market. The best type of river knife is the one that is easy to access and stays on (or in) your jacket until you need it. We have found that a folding knife is a good option as you can keep it inside the front pocket where it can be easily retrieved and is safe from falling out. Most life jackets are equipped with a lash tab, a square plastic cleat that can hold the sheath of a fixed blade knife into place on the front of the jacket. These are easier to access, but sheathed knives have the potential to fall out of the sheath and cause injury, damage to your gear, or just simply become lost.

If you choose to use a sheathed knife rather than a folding knife, you can attach the sheath to the square plastic lash tab at the front of your life jacket.

• Check to see if the clip of your knife sheath looks like it will fit into the Lash Tab. (if not, go to step 4)
• If it fits, carefully insert the knife sheath clip into the lash tab slots. Avoid using excessive force.
• Check to make sure it’s secure
• If the knife clip does not fit or does not feel secure in the lash tab, you may use zip-ties to better secure it.

Astral has always operated out of a small production facility here in Asheville, where we finish small production runs of certain life jackets, and handle repairs and QC. However, as we have severely outgrown our in-house production ability, we currently manufacture the majority of our products overseas. We work with a production facility in Vietnam and another in China which resemble our facility in their ability to build high-end technical products and strict quality control.

Yes! You can return unused items in their original packaging within 30 days of purchase for a refund. Please fill out the Returns Form and we'll reply with a return authorization number and instructions!

Yes. Buoyancy is relative to displacement of water and since the human body is mostly water, overall body weight plays a much smaller role in our weight in water than most people realize. It is primarily bone and muscle mass that weighs us down. For example, a high school wrestler who weighs 130 lbs, is likely to weigh more in water than a sumo wrestler. Our jackets have ample buoyancy to sufficiently float both.

Maybe. Our jackets are made of nylon fabric, buoyancy inserts (either plastic foam or Kapok) and some hardware. Over time these components may degrade or lose their structural integrity. As a general rule of thumb, we recommend that jackets should be replaced every 5 years or after 300 days of use (whichever comes first). Also, we recommend an annual inspection of the jacket at the beginning of every season:

1. A visual inspection: make sure there are no holes or obvious tears in the fabric or seams.
2. Check the hardware, make sure the zippers buckle and webbing are in good condition.
3. Test swim your life jacket in some calm and protected water.

If your jacket seems to float less than you remember from previous year, or if you’ve discovered any other damage, it may be time for a new one.

Astral shoes tend to fit true to size when worn barefoot or with a thin sock. In general, you may want to consider going up 1/2 size to accommodate dry suit booties or a thick sock. Our shoes are designed to be narrow in the heel and mid foot, with a wide toe box. This allows the shoe to be low profile, but leaves room for your foot to spread out when carrying weight (a kayak). We consider any foot greater than E as possibly too wide for our shoes, however they do stretch out a bit after breaking them in.
When possible we suggest to try them on before purchase at your local Astral dealer.
Below is an international size conversion chart for Astral Footwear:

We are happy to help customers from our HQ, we have open office hours of M-F 9am-4pm. We also have several local dealers who would be happy to satisfy your Astral needs, please see our dealer locator for more information.

Most orders ship the following business day. So, order Monday and your order will likely ship Tuesday. 

We ship from North Carolina, so depending on your location anywhere from 2-10 days. 

Try putting 'General Delivery' as the first line of your address. Still having problems? Give us a call and we'll be happy to help: 828-255-2638, M-F 9am-5pm EST.

Creating an account on our site will allow you to keep track of your orders and in the future, manage your newsletter subscriptions.

Expedited 2-day shipping includes business days only. For example, an order placed on Wednesday after 9a.m. will ship Thursday, and arrive on Monday. The pick-up day is not included as a shipping day. Any orders placed after Friday at 11a.m. or over the weekend will ship Monday.

If you need to store your Astral gear for an extended period of time, please do so in a dry place, out of direct sunlight and away from any intense sources of heat.

We recommend hand washing your Astral shoes in warm, soapy water and gently scrubbing with a nylon brush. Air dry only. 

At this time, Astral only makes shoes in “regular” standard D widths. We do not currently offer wide sizes.

The largest womens style currently goes up to size 11, while select mens models go up to size 14, including the TR1 series and the Loyak.

To find your nearest Astral dealer, check out our Dealer Locator: https://www.astraldesigns.com/find-retailer

Yes! Just throw your cover in the machine on a gentle/cold wash and line dry. We recommend using a gentle all natural detergent, such as Seventh Generation or similar.

Unfortunately not, the new AstroPads are sized differently than the old ones.

Yes, qualified individuals can apply for a discount via our Pro-Sales form.

All Astral footwear is designed to be water ready, but some styles have specific features that make them better than others for kayaking. The Brewer 2.0 featuring our Granite Grip outsole, properitary super sticky G rubber and hydrophic canvas is our favorite kayaking shoe, styled to take you from the river to the bar. 

Yes! Astral shoes are designed to provide best in class grip and support while negotiating technical terrain. The Hiyak features our stickiest GSS rubber compound, combined with our Flex Grip outsole the Hiyak will inspire you to explore further than ever. 

Amphibious shoes are intended be equally capable both on land and in the water. Being water ready is a key component of all Astral footwear. Utilizing fast drying hydrophobic canvas for the uppers, and sticky soles we create shoes that can be used from trail, to river, to town.

A Type III PFD is intended for general use, and provide a minimum of 15.5lbs of flotation. All Astral life jackets exceed this requirement.

A Type IV PFD is throwable only device and cannot be worn. Astral does not currently manufacture any Type IV PFDs. 

Sun exposure combined with the constant wetting/drying cycle causes both the fabric to degrade as well as the foam used for flotation. Over time a life jacket will begin to float you lower in the water and be more prone to failure in a rescue situation. 

The Loyak is our best option for use as a camp shoe, it's super light, packable and also makes for a great shoe for river/creek crossings too!

Non-slip shoes are formulated to provide resistence to slipping on wet and greasy surfaces. Many employers in the food services or manufaturing require slip resistant shoes to be worn for safety reasons.