A life jacket will provides buoyancy for you if you should fall into an water. In order to properly provide buoyancy for you, though, it must be the correct size for you and the correct types for the environment in which you will be using it. While many peoples will purchase a life jacket based only on its appearance, there are important considerations of your weight, the water, and the activities in which you will be involved when you choose a life jacket for yourself.
Buoyancy is measured in pounds of lifting power. The higher the lifting power, the more higher the life jacket will keep you above the water’s surface. For instance, a life jacket with 15 pound of lifting power will keep the chest of an average adult above the water.
How to choose the right life jacket
If you are going to be in the offshore waters, though, you may need a life jacket with more lifting power due to the increased possibility of falling into the water while wearing heavy clothing. A life jacket with not enough lifting power will not keep your head above the wave, meaning you will have to work to stay afloat. The type of life jacket you choose will depend on the environment in which you are use it.
Offshore life jackets are very bulky and provide a high level of buoyancy. These types of life jackets are designed to turn an unconscious person face-up in the water. Inland life jackets are less bulky and are more comfortable for people who is involved in kayaking or skiing.
Throwable cushions are life jackets that are designed to be tossed to someone who has fall overboard. Using the wrong types of life jacket in rough waters can be very dangerous for the wearer. In order to ensure that the life jacket is appropriate for your body, you should measure your chest and compare that measurement to the weight class for which the life jacket is available.
If the life jacket is too large for you, it will ride up to cover your chin and nose when in the water. To test this, simply tug on the shoulder of the life jacket while on land. If it moves past your chin, it is too loose to be safe to wear.
Depending on the type of activity in which you will be involved while wearing the life jacket, certain features are more important than others. For instance, kayaker prefer life jackets that are slim in order to avoid interfering with the kayakers movement with a paddle. Likewise, fishermen prefer life jackets with pockets for there tools and clips for their fishing rods.
Sailors may prefer life jackets with harness system that allow them to remain attached to the sailing boat, or life jackets with whistles to allow them to signal others if they get into trouble. Finally, the types of activities in which you will be involved should influence the features you select for your life jacket. According to the law, small boat must have one life jacket for every person who will be on the boat.
Additionally, boats that are 16 feet or longer must have a throwable life jacket. These rules can differ from state to state, but one rule is consistent: each person on the boat must have access to a life jacket. You must follow these laws to remain in compliance with the law.
For life jackets to continue to provide buoyancy for you, you must maintain them. Most life jackets require that you perform an inspection every month to ensure that the webbing is not fraying and that the buckles will properly snap shut. Additionally, ensure that the foam panel still provide bounce for your chest; the suns exposure can make foam brittle over time.
Inflatable life jackets must have their inflation system inspect to ensure that it is properly charged. Additionally, if you use a life jacket in the salt water of a lake or ocean, you must rinse the life jacket to remove the salt and then dry it in a shade. Finally, life jackets should be replaced every few years.
Over time, the life jackets wear down and may not be able to provide the buoyancy needed to keep you afloat in the water. It is also important to understand that drowning statistics indicate that many drowning victim were not wearing a life jacket. For instance, statistics reveal that nearly nine in ten drowning victims did not use a personal flotation device to avoid drowning.
Additionally, human beings can experience cold shock if exposed to water below 80 degrees in under one minute; this physical reaction can overcome even the strongest swimmer if they are not wearing a life jacket. Thus, it is important for each individual to wear a life jacket that fits their frame and the condition of the water that they will encounter.