I've had the Astral GreenJacket for a couple of years now, I love the fit & it's very comfortable, the large opening pouch has been awesome, whistle, knife*, snacks, etc. fit nicely in the easy to access pouch. I've towed more than a few using the quick release strap with a dedicated towing line with shock cord built in, I hardly felt them behind me, When practicing for a Paddle Canada Level III it never failed me, I was able to release the strap while upside down being dragged then roll back up. The only fault I have (*this is with almost all rescue PFD's) is the knife bracket location, I ripped it while practicing, it never failed to hook a line or actually pop open a hatch during self rescues, I ended up putting the knife inside the pouch, not Ideal. On a good note I had perfected the submerged reentry and roll because of it, albeit in fairly calm sea state. You'd get 5/5 stars for relocating the knife in a less obtrusive location. Still, I have several PFD's this is by far my favourite, I've put this jacket thru hell and back over the years, it's still in good enough shape to remain in service, I'd definitely purchase another!
