We recommend that everyone wear a life jacket at all times when near, on or in the water: when wading, swimming, fishing, boating or during any other water-related activity. You may not have time to put on your life jacket if you encounter a water hazard, slip while fishing or fall out of your vessel.

When a life jacket fails to inflate properly, the results can be life threatening. Unknown bladder leaks may exist, fabric degradation or an improperly installed CO2 cylinder is all it takes to render an inflatable life jacket ineffective by preventing its inflation or ability to stay inflated.

Life jackets can save lives and are a vital part of water safety. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 72% of boating deaths that occurred during 2010 were caused by drowning with 88% of victims not wearing a life jacket.

Requiring recreational boaters to wear life jackets would increase their odds of surviving an accident by 80 percent, according to a recent research study conducted at the University of Maryland Baltimore County in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard.

| Survival basics. A person with average fitness and weight could tread water up to 4 hours without a lifejacket or up to 10 hours if they are really fit. If the person’s body form is favourable, they could survive longer by floating on their back.

If you have the budget and you are willing to invest in a high-quality life jacket, this would be the perfect section for you to explore. Oodles of features, effectiveness, comfort, a utility is what a high-end life vest brings to the table. The cost here starts at $100 and can go up to $350+.

Swimming with a life jacket is ideal for those learning how to swim or individuals swimming in lakes, oceans and rivers, since swimming in these areas can be more dangerous than swimming in a pool. A life jacket can protect you from waves and rapid currents as well as keep you safe if you become fatigued.

If you can’t swim well or even tread water, it’s best to throw a life saver or any buoyant object they can hold on to, then call for help and stay still and calm to save energy. It’s possible, yes, but you would need to help them when they are still at the surface not under the water.

Generally, foam life jackets have a 10 year lifespan. This includes PFDs for leisure purposes. Life jackets for commercial use will usually need to be replaced more frequently. With inflatable life jackets, you will often find that the air cartridge has an expiration date printed on the side.

A properly fitting jacket should be snug but not tight. In terms of risk of drowning, the safest life jacket is the one you’re willing to wear! There are many good choices to keep safe on the water.

Your life jacket should fit snugly without being too tight. The term the Coast Guard uses is “comfortably snug”. If you can’t make your life jacket fit snugly, then it’s too big. If you can’t comfortably put it on and fasten it, it’s too small.

Anyone being towed by a boat needs to wear a life jacket at Level 50 minimum. Children under 12 are required to wear some form of life jacket at all times – minimum Level 50 in inland water or Level 100 out on the ocean.

Children and teens should wear a life jacket any time they are on a boat, raft, inner tube or swimming in open water like lakes, rivers or the ocean. Children birth to 5 years old should also wear a life jacket while in or near water. This includes while they are on a beach or dock.