• PFD Types & uses
• Caring for PFDs
• Protecting Your PFD Investment
  

The Rules

All boats must be equipped with Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) for each person aboard. Boaters are required to carry at least one United States Coast Guard-approved PFD per passenger. In addition, should your vessel be at least 16 feet long, a throwable PFD such as a life ring or cushion is also required.

All states now require that youths wear life jackets when underway. New federal regulations, enforceable Jan. 1, 2003, mandate that the 15 states without child life jacket laws require that youths under 13 wear an approved PFD whenever a recreational vessel is underway, unless below decks or in a closed cabin. (States with existing PFD requirements are not required to alter the statutes.)

Water skiers and Personal Water Craft (PWC) riders must also abide by PFD laws. Penalties for noncompliance with the law can range from a written warning to fines of $1,100 for each violation (recommended penalty is $50 to $250 for each violation).

USCG Boating Safety information

State Laws

In addition to meeting the standard PFD laws at left, each state has particular regulations.

Aside from the standard life jackets available, at least one company is now offering a jacket that contains compartments equipped with flares, lights and other potential survival equipment.

According to the Coast Guard, 85% of all annual boating deaths are due to failure to use PFDs.

60% of those deaths involved people falling overboard without a PFD!

A TYPE I PFD, or OFFSHORE LIFE JACKET provides the most buoyancy.

It is effective for all waters, especially open, rough or remote waters where rescue may be delayed. It is designed to turn most unconscious wearers in the water to a face-up position.

A TYPE II PFD, NEAR-SHORE BUOYANCY VEST is intended for calm, inland water.

Type II is designed for areas where there is a good chance of quick rescue. This type will turn some unconscious wearers to a face-up position in the water. The turning action is not as pronounced and it will not turn as many persons to a face-up position under the same conditions as a Type I.

An adult size device provides at least 15 1/2 pounds buoyancy, a medium child provides 11 pounds. Infant and small child sizes each provide at least 7 pounds buoyancy.

A TYPE III PFD (FLOTATION AID) is also good for calm water (where there is a good rescue chance).

It is designed so wearers can place themselves in a face-up position in the water. The wearer may have to tilt their head back to avoid turning face-down in the water.

A TYPE IV PFD or THROWABLE DEVICE is intended for calm, inland water with heavy boat traffic, where help is always present.

It is designed to be thrown to a person in the water and grasped and held by the user until rescued.

It is not designed to be worn. Type IV devices include buoyant cushions, ring buoys, and horseshoe buoys.

A TYPE V PFD, or SPECIAL USE DEVICE is intended for specific activities.

It may be carried instead of another PFD only if used according to the approval condition on that label.

Some Type V devices provide significant hypothermia protection. Varieties include deck suits, work vests, board sailing vests, and Hybrid PFDs.

A TYPE V HYBRID INFLATABLE PFD is the least bulky of all PFD types.

It contains a small amount of inherent buoyancy, and an inflatable chamber.

_ USCG

The United States Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety offers varied and valuable mariner information. Smart boaters take USCG boating courses!

The Office of Boating Safety can guide you through the basics of boating, the laws and free nautical know-how information that is available.

• Routinely examine PFDs for tears and fabric degradation.
• Replace worn PFDs promptly.
• Check cartridges (and replace) in inflatable PFDs.
• Rinse salt water from PFDs with fresh water.
• Air-dry PFDs.
• Stow in a ventilated area out of sunlight.
• Test the PFDs for buoyancy at least twice a year.
• Use a quality waterproofing fabric protector to ward off deteriorating mold and mildew.

• Sit on PFDs (doing so will breakdown buoyant materials).
• Store PFDs when wet.
• Dry in or on a heat source such as a clothes dryer or heating vent.
• Store aboard for long periods when a vessel is not in use.

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Waterproofing, Sustaining Life Jackets and PFDs

Moisture, mold, mildew and sunlight make PFDs susceptible to rapid fabric breakdown.

Most people store life jackets under seats or in small storage lockers that get little or no ventilation which can ruin the PFD in short order.

If you store your PFD's somewhere"out of the way" on your boat, that's of OK (as long as it complies with the local state regulations) but this may cause the life jacket material or stitching, whether it is polyester, nylon or canvas, to break down prematurely.

Since some of these life jackets are pretty expensive, it's a good idea to use a fabric/moisture protector. A quality waterproofing agent can prolong the life of PFDs by protecting them from ultraviolet rays and the deteriorating affects of mildew.

There's nothing more embarrassing than having Coast Guard officials board your vessel only to discover that your PFDs in storage have rotted away ... and if they did, not only do you have to buy new ones, but also the Coast Guard may cite you ... which will cost even more money! A product like Scotch Guard or another quality fabric waterproofer will do the trick.

Just make sure to test a little in an inconspicuous area of a PFD, as some waterproofers stain or discolor the fabric. You may find that a fabric waterproofers made especially for marine use will work better.

Here is a short list of waterproofers available at some of the specialty marine supply stores:

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