Monday, August 13, 2012

Types of Life Jackets

By Robert Cliford


If you own a boat, then you need to be intimately familiar with the laws regarding life jackets. Each person will usually need to have at the very least one USCG approved jacket while the boat is underway. If your vessel is longer than 16 feet, you will need to have a Type IV life jacket onboard. This law becomes nullified in the case of kayaks and canoes. It should be noted that children under 12 must always wear a UCSG approved life jacket in an underway vehicle.

If you wish, you can substitute and jacket on your boat with a type V so long as it is approved by the USCG. There are a few criteria for approval with the USCG, for example the vest needs to be marked clearly with a USCG approval number. You will also need to make sure the life jacket is in decent condition. Let's talk a bit about the different life jackets.

Type 1: These vests are great for floatation. As a life vest these are excellent as they can turn the unconcious face up. They are bulky, but they last for a long time.

Type 2: You will need to be prepared for fast rescue with this vest. An individual cannot be turned face up by this jacket which tends to create a problem. That said, these jackets must be used by individuals who are either near shore or in good shape.

Type 3: This type is a floatation aid and it works well in calm waters. They are full-sleeved vests, but they will not turn a person face up. With that understood, rough waters would be a bad location. Such vests are typically great for water sports. Jet skis are a great example as well.

This is not the standard life vest. This is of course a flotation device that is tossed into the water. Most often these are referred to as life preservers, and they can only be used in a few situations. If you have an individual falling off of your craft, you can use this device to guide someone in. Beside lakes and on boats are common places for these devices.

Type 5: This advanced type is used for many intense activities like windsurfing and even kayaking. They should be worn at all times, and they must be used in accordance with their label.

Inflatable vests will require replacement parts once they are used. Though you don't want to use the vest, you can at least effect repairs when you do use them. You can either buy your replacement parts online or from a sporting goods store.

There are plenty of different options when it comes to life jackets and life jackets inflatable. That said, if you are planning to utilize a watercraft any time soon, you should most definitely start by getting the right safety equipment.




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