Personal Flotation Devices

 If you are into any kind of boating you will need Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs).  The most common PFDs are life jackets and life vests.  Water skiers sometimes prefer life belts, but life belts do not provide the same amount of protection as life jackets or life vests.  Life belts give added  buoyancy but life jackets and life vests are designed to keep your face out of the water, even if you are unconscious while life belts do not.  If you are knocked out in a water skiing accident a life belt will NOT help keep your face out the water and you will drown!  Life belts are NOT Coast Guard approved and are NOT LEGAL for water skiing.  Water skiers should be wearing an approved Type I, Type II, or Type III life vest, as should everyone on a boat.

Personal Flotation Devices come in several different types, with each having its own rating and purpose.  For a complete description of the different types see Personal Flotation Devices: Guidlines.  In general a Type I or Type II device is appropriate for most boating activities, with Type I being rated for off-shore use and Type II primarily for near shore or inland operations.  Type III devices are considered flotation aids intended for general boating or specialized activity that is marked on the device (such as water skiing, canoeing, kayaking, hunting etc.). These devices are best for calm inland waters or where there is a good chance for fast rescue.

All pleasure boats are required by regulations to have life vests for every person on board.  Regulations do not require the vest to be worn at all times but for optimum safety you should always wear your life vest.  You just never know when something is going to happen.  Even on a calm day on a gentle, inland lake you might get hit by surprise with the large wake from a passing boat that might cause you to lose your balance and fall over board.  I must admit that I find wearing a life vest cumbersome while at the helm of my 25' sailboat, but I will put in on at the first sign of a storm or squall.  I insist that children and non-swimmers wear their vests at all times.  Approved life vests for most boating should be Type I or Type II, with Type III OK for some activities such as kayaking, canoeing, water skiing and hunting (around lakes and rivers).  Anyone working (or playing) near bodies of water should wear life vests if they are within 10 feet of the water.  Here are some examples of life vests:

                                                                   

Note the difference:  the orange one fits around your neck and can help keep your face out of the water if you are knocked unconscious.  The blue one will help keep you from sinking but probably won't do as much to keep your face out of the water.  While the blue one may appear a little more fashionable and might be less constraining of movement, I would rather have the extra protection of the support behind my head!            

Type IV are throwable devices.   They include life rings, buoyant horseshoes, and throwable cushions.  They are not designed to be worn but are thrown from a boat to someone already in the water who needs assistance but should be secondary to a wearable PFD.   Both the throwable and wearable devices should be readily available for emergency situations and everyone on board should know where they are and how to use them.  Not all cushions are suitable for throwable safety devices so make sure you know which ones are and where to find them on your boat.  Throwable flotation cushions are designed with straps you can put your arms through for stabilization.  In an true emergency I wouldn't hesitate to use ANY floatable cushion but a qualified throwable safety cushion should always be your first choice.  Cushions rated as throwable safety cushions will have appropriate straps that can be used as hand holds and will have sufficient flotation to help support a man overboard.  They will also resist getting water logged, which may happen all too fast with other cushions as they soak up water.  A soggy cushion might actually make things worse, pulling the victim down instead of keeping them afloat!

PFDs are used in other situations as well, such as waterfront construction work, ship building and repair, life guarding and entertainment, and enforcement and rescue operations.  My volunteer fire department requires us to wear a life vest whenever we are within 10' of a lake or river whether we are actively involved in a water rescue or not.  Fishermen and hunters around waterways should consider wearing PFDs.   They are also a good idea when ice fishing or even skating on lakes and ponds.

 "Water wings" and other plastic floatation toys are not valid PFDs.  Any child on a boat or near the water should be wearing a properly fitting Personal Flotation Device.  Children's life vests will be labeled to indicate the weight range they are designed for.  Always make sure your kids are wearing the right PFDs.  One that is too small will not provide adequate buoyancy and one that is too large will not fit right and may slip off.  Inflatable plastic water toys and air mattresses can be a lot of fun for kids of all ages but are definitely not proper floatation devices for life safety.

                                                  

Like many types of Personal Protection Equipment, life jackets and life vests may not be the most fashionable or most comfortable to wear but they WILL provide the protection you need!   I once heard some say they wouldn't be caught dead wearing an ugly life jacket -- but consider that they could very well be caught dead NOT wearing one!

Stay afloat!