Video: Selecting a Life Jacket
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The video speaker is Gordon Colby from Mustang Survival.
Video Transcript
Transcript for Selecting a Life Jacket
On Screen: Selecting a Life Jacket
Life Jacket Association
My name is Gordon, and I will be talking with you today about selecting a life jacket. There are three different areas to consider when selecting a life jacket: size and fit, anticipated activity, and the environment where the life jacket will be used.
On Screen: When Selecting a Life Jacket:
Size and Fit
Anticipated Activity
Environment Where Life Jacket Will Be Used
Having a correctly sized life jacket is essential. All approved U.S. Coast Guard and Transport Canada life jackets are tested on human subjects in the water. A loose life jacket may feel great on land, but it won't work the way you want it to in the water.
The label of an approved life jacket will have the weight range and the chest or waist size it is designed for printed on it.
On Screen: Four Groups of Sizing
Infant Weight: less than or equal to 33 LBS/15 KG
Child Weight: Over 33 LBS/15 KG, less than or equal to 55 LBS/25 KG
Youth Weight: Over 55 LBS/25 KG, less than or equal to 88 LBS/40 KG
Adult Weight: Greater than 88 LBS/40 KG
The subject weight is in four groups: infant, child, youth, and adult. The amount of flotation is different for each group. Infant life jackets also provide more performance in the water, the assumption being made that infants are not swimmers.
So, anyone who weighs 88 pounds or more is an adult. This means adults also need to pay attention to chest size or waist size to make sure that the device can fit them. If you aren't sure of your chest size, try it on, and go from there.
Some activities require special designs. And some designs simply work better for certain activities. For example, waterskiing, wakeboarding, and jet skiing are high-speed activities where you might end up in the water. Get a device with a label that says it is designed for that specific activity.
On Screen: The Warning Icon
Image of a triangle with exclamation point inside: This area may also include important information about the requirement to wear the life jacket.
Image of a person on jet ski crossed out: This icon indicates this life jacket is NOT approved for use onboard a PWC.
Image of a person in a kayak crossed out: This icon indicates this life jacket is NOT approved for use in whitewater conditions.
Image of a ski handle crossed out: This icon indicates this life jacket is NOT approved for waterskiing or participating in similar towed uses.
Image of person on tube crossed out: This icon indicates this life jacket is NOT approved for tubing or participating in similar uses.
What kind of conditions are you going out in? A life jacket for a solo sailor going out overnight might be different than a life jacket for a stand-up paddle boarder going out on a small lake with friends. So have a life jacket that fits, a life jacket that is designed to do what you want to do, and a life jacket that will work in the conditions you expect to find. Again, my name is Gordon. Thanks for watching this video. And thanks for staying safe on the water.
On Screen: Life Jacket Association