[fatlazyless]

er-satz: adjective, (of a product) made or used as a substitute, typically an inferior one, for something else. "ersatz coffee"

Ersatz is not a word familiar to me, so I looked it up, and while a foam noodle belt attached to a 50' x 5/16" line may be ezsatz, it could be pretty useful. Just like a rope lasso used by a cowboy to rope a steer, with a little practice, a foam noodle belt/50' line could quickly go from an ersatz, worn pfd belt to a lasso style, tossable rescue pfd line.....by twirling it above one's head like a lasso and then letting it go, out across the ice/water to a victim, lasso style........ yee-haw! Probably, the five inch diameter noodle works best because it is more rigid, and has more flotation.

The key to making it work is to thread a line down through the noodle center hole, and fashion the noodle into a wearable, circle belt, worn on the outside of a winter coat.