STEP 1: Check the condition
- Check for chafe, especially where webbing passes through buckles.
- If your lifejacket looks like this, it should be condemned!
- Inflate the jacket to check for air- tightness, and leave for 12-16 hours.
- Deflate the bladder by depressing the valve with the reverse of the cap.
A simple test for a lifejacket or buoyancy aid is to hang on an appropriate weight, squeeze out all the air and see if it floats. If it does float it is OK.
The life jacket should be snug but allow you to move freely. Make sure there is no excess room above the arm openings and that the jacket does not ride up over your chin or face. In order to work properly, the life jacket must be in good and serviceable condition.
Level 70 buoyancy aids are intended for use by those who have a means of rescue close at hand, or who are near to bank or shore. These devices have minimal bulk, but cannot be expected to keep the user safe for a long period of time in disturbed water.
To conduct a thorough PFD inspection:
- Check for damage. Rips, tears, cracks, holes, or any other significant wear are an indication that a PFD should not be used.
- Check for waterlogging.
- Check for air leaks.
- Check for mildew.
- Check the buoyant material.
5 Types of PFDs (Personal Flotation Devices)
- Family.
- Boating.
- Safety.
- Idaho.
- Wakesurfing.
- Wakeboarding.
- Life Jackets.
- PFD.
Disadvantage: Throwable flotation devices are not designed to be worn and must be grasped by the person in the water until they can be rescued.
There are a number of functional differences between the two, which we will come to shortly, but in essence, PFDs are designed to assist a conscious person (which is why they are also commonly referred to as 'Buoyancy Aids'), while lifejackets can effectively support those who are unconscious.
Type III. A Type III PFD is an approved device designed to have more than 15.5 pounds of buoyancy. While the Type III PFD has the same buoyancy as the Type II PFD, it has less turning ability.
Select the Proper Life Jacket TypeType II jackets are likewise designed to turn an unconscious person face up in the water. They offer a minimum 15.5 pounds of buoyancy and are typically chosen for nearshore boating excursions. They offer a minimum 16.5 pounds of buoyancy.
Less bulky, more comfortable than Off-Shore Life Jacket (Type I PFD). Disadvantages. Not for long hours in rough water. Will not turn some unconscious wearer face-up in water.
A personal flotation device (PFD) is a life jacket, life preserver or life vest. A life jacket is designed to hold your head above water so you can breathe.
Type III – Inherently buoyant recommended uses and features:Supervised activities, such as sailing regattas, dinghy races, water skiing, fishing, canoeing, kayaking and during personal watercraft operation. Minimum Buoyancy: 15.5 lbs. for adult size.
The basic physics behind flotation devices is that they add buoyancy to the person using them in the water. When a person is in the water, there is an upward force acting on them from the water and a downward force from the weight of the person.
Here are the best life jackets, life vests, and PFDs:
- Best life jacket overall: Astral BlueJacket Kayak Life Vest.
- Best for fishing: NRS Chinook Fishing PFD.
- Best for small children: O'Neill Wake USCG Vest.
- Best inflatable vest: Onyx M-24 Manual Inflatable Vest.
- Best affordable vest: Stearns Adult Classic Series Vest.
The USCG regulations state that each paddler over the age of 12 must have a “USCG-approved Type I, II, III, or appropriate Type V” life jacket. While riders over the age of 12 are not required to wear a life jacket on the water, wearing your PFD certainly the smart approach to staying safe on your paddle board.
Essentially buoyancy aids are designed to help you swim if you capsize for example, whereas a life jacket is designed to keep a person afloat without the need to swim. A life jacket should keep someone afloat even if they are unconscious and should have a collar designed to keep the person's face clear of the water.
Best Life Jacket of 2020
- Best All-Around Life Jacket. Stohlquist Fit.
- Best Paddle-Specific Jacket. Astral V-Eight.
- Best Bang for your Buck. Stearns Adult Classic.
- Great Value for a Kids Jacket. Stearns Child Hydroprene.
- Most Comfortable Fishing Vest. Astral Ronny.
- Best for SUP. NRS Zephyr.
- A Simple, Comfortable Paddle Vest.
- Excellent Comfort for the Kiddos.
A properly fitted PFD will not ride higher than the ears or mouth of the wearer. It should also be comfortable to wear.
For an adult of say 70kg, a buoyancy aid should give at least 50 Newton's buoyancy, while lifejackets of 100N and 150N should give the respective buoyancy. Lifejackets should be constructed in such a way so as to turn an unconscious person into an upright position and keep his/her airways clear of water.
"As most people know, a life-jacket keeps you afloat and keeps sure your face or your mouth or your airway are out of the water." Byers said drowning when wearing a life-jacket is very rare. "If people wear a life-jacket like a sweater and it's not buckled or zipped up, it could slip off," she said.
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.
In fact, the Coast Guard's recreational boating statistics from 2014 show that where a cause of death was known, 78 percent of fatal boating accident victims drowned. Of those drowning victims, it is reported that 84 percent were not wearing a life jacket.
The Rundown
- Best Overall: Absolute Outdoor Onyx A/M-24 Deluxe Inflatable Life Jacket at Amazon.
- Best Type III: Mustang Survival Corp M.I.T. 100 Auto Activation PFD at Amazon.
- Best Budget: MTI Expedition 2 Life Vest at Dick's Sporting Goods.
- Best for Kayaking: Astral Buoyancy V-Eight Life Jacket at Amazon.
