The importance of Life Jackets

Life jackets are like seat belts, they only work if you wear them. Here are helpful tips for having and wearing the right life jacket.  

Check the Label  

The label will tell you whether the life jacket is Coast Guard approved.  Coast Guard approval is shown by a stencil marking or tag on the PFD. The marking or tag shows the amount of flotation in the device and the PFD type.  To meet U.S. Coast Guard requirements a life jacket must be a Type I, II, III, or V.  Boats 16 feet or longer must have a Type IV throwable device as well.

The label will also tell you the size of the life jacket and how the life jacket can be used.  Sizes run from infant to extra extra large.  Adult life jackets will not work for children until they weigh about 90 pounds.  Children’s life jackets should have a loop on the collar and a strap between the legs.

Check for Damage

If your PFD or life jacket is damaged, it no longer meets legal requirements.

Check that there are no broken parts and no mold or rips in the fabric.  Check your jackets yearly for buoyancy, rips, rust and rot. Throw away waterlogged, faded or leaky jackets.

Buckle Up

Fasten all buckles, zippers and straps.  Adjust straps so that the jacket fits snugly.

Check for Proper Fit

Life jackets must be Coast Guard approved and the right size for the wearer. Use the "touchdown test" to check if a life jacket fits.

With the jacket on, raise your arms as though signaling a touchdown. If when looking to the left, right and over the shoulder, the chest part of the jacket doesn't hit the chin, the device probably fits. A good test for children is to have a child stand normally, arms at sides. Grab the life jacket at the shoulders and firmly lift up. If you can move the life jacket more than three inches up and down the child's body, it doesn't fit.

A life jacket that doesn't fit could endanger the wearer as much as not wearing one. Check the PFD label for restrictions and limitations on its use and performance type.

The U.S. Coast Guard requires that all children under age 13 wear a personal flotation device while on a recreational vessel.

— Germaine White, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes