Life jackets, also called personal flotation devices, is devices that will help a person to float in the water. A life jacket is designed to provide buoyancy to the person wearing it, which are the force that helps to keep a person at the surface of the water. A life jacket must be the correct size for a person, as well as have the appropriate features for the activity that the person is to perform.
For example, the wrong life jacket may not ensure that the persons face remains out of the water while the person is wearing the device. There are various types of life jackets, each made for specific type of waters. Offshore life jackets are made for rough seas, as well as to ensure that they flip an unconscious person face-up so that they can breathe.
How to Choose and Care for a Life Jacket
Nearshore life jackets are made for calm waters, such as bays, and are used in situations where rescue assistance will arrive soon. Flotation aids are made for activities like paddling and fishing, and they are made to permit the individual to move easy while wearing the life jacket. Finally, throwable rings are used as a backup to life jackets, and an individual isnt to wear them.
To determine the proper size of a life jacket for an individual, you must measure that individuals chest. Chest size is a more important measurement for adults than body weight. The widest portion of the chest should be measured, and an individual should add inches to that measurement to account for the clothes that they will wear while wearing the life jacket.
Many life jackets is available for adults of different sizes. Additionally, many life jackets are available for individuals that weigh 90 pounds or more. For children, the life jackets that are provided are made to match that individuals weights.
For instance, children that weigh 30 pounds or less have life jackets that include head pillows and crotch straps to ensure that they do not slip out of the childs body. A ratchet strap is necessary to ensure that the life jacket does not slide up the childs head. Additionally, it is never appropriate to provide an adult life jacket to a child.
The type of activity that an individual will perform while in the water determines which type of life jacket an individual should use. Kayakers should use life jackets that have a low profile to ensure that the individual can easily move their paddle. Fishermen may require life jackets with pockets to store their fishing gear, but must ensure that the life jackets will not cause the individual to become overheated while performing their activity.
Sailors often require offshore life jackets that have harness clips that ensure that they are secured in the life jackets. For individuals who will perform whitewater activities, foam life jackets are recommended due to their durability. Finally, motorboaters should use quick-don life jackets, as these will easy be donned in the event of an emergency.
Ensuring that a life jacket is comfortable while wearing it is also important to ensure that the individual will wear the device while performing the activity. An essential feature for all life jackets is buoyancy. An average adult should have between 7 and 12 pounds of buoyancy to ensure that they can float.
An individual that wears heavy clothing may require more buoyancy than an adult that is not wearing any. Buoyancy is measured in pounds throughout the United States, though other regions of the world may use newtons as the unit of measurement. Offshore life jackets provide 22 pounds of buoyancy or more and are used in open water.
Foam life jackets provide constant buoyancy and are recommended for children or for whitewater activities. Inflatable life jackets will provide high buoyancy when activated and are light in weight to permit individuals to wear them for longer period of time. However, people should not use inflatable life jackets for non-swimmers or children under the age of 16, as these individuals require the constant buoyancy provided for by foam life jackets.
A life jacket should fit tightly around the individual that is to wear the device. All buckles on a life jacket should be fastened tightly to ensure that an individuals body will not slide out of the life jacket. An individual should raise their arms to ensure that the life jacket does not ride up over their chin.
Additionally, when wearing a life jacket, the device should not cover an individuals nose and mouth. A test of the life jacket can be performed in a swimming pool to ensure that it will fit the individual properly. If the life jacket is too loose, it will not be able to function proper if the person should capsize.
The color of a life jacket is another important aspect of the device. Safety orange is a color that will remain highly visible against the color of the water when the water is blue. Yellow is a color that is highly visible against dark waters.
Additionally, the reflective strips that are incorporated into many life jackets will allow rescuers to find the individual in the water during the night. High visibility of the individual in the water will aid the rescuers in finding that individual in need of assistance. Foam life jackets have certain advantages over inflatable life jackets.
For instance, people consider foam life jackets to be more reliable in that they are always active and do not require the wearer to manually activate the device. Therefore, foam life jackets are considered to be appropriate for beginner. In contrast, inflatable life jackets are more lightweight and are better for experts who are performing activities in calm waters.
Additionally, inflatable life jackets require servicing each year to ensure that they are still functional. To ensure that the life jacket remains in good working order, the life jacket should be rinsed with fresh water to remove the salt from the water or the chlorine from swimming pools. Additionally, the life jacket should be air-dried in the shade.
The life jackets should be stored in a flat location in a cool area. Additionally, each year the life jacket should be inspected to ensure that it is in good working order. For instance, the zippers, foam padding and labels should be inspected each year.
If the life jacket becomes waterloged it should be replaced. Finally, ensure that the life jacket has a stamp from the United States Coast Guard. This stamp indicates that the United States Coast Guard has tested the life jacket for safety and is legal for use.
