Video: U.S. Coast Guard–Approved Life Jackets

Transcript for U.S. Coast Guard–Approved Life Jackets

On Screen: U.S. Coast Guard Approved Life Jackets

Life Jacket Association

My name is Chris. And I'm here today to talk to you about different types of life jackets. You are out for a day on the water and hear this all the time. Make sure you wear a life jacket. You grab the closest one you can find and think you have done your part. But did you know that not all life jackets are the same?

On Screen: Life Jacket Type Variables

Material

Functionality

Approved/Not Approved

Activity

They vary by material, functionality, approved or not approved, and activity.

Most life jackets are U.S. Coast Guard approved, meaning the materials and the designs have been tested for performance.

On Screen: Unapproved Life Jackets

Impact Vests

Knee Board Vests

Other High Action Watersport Jackets

Other life jackets are non-approved such as impact vests, knee board vests, and other high-action water sports jackets. This doesn't mean they won't float you. They just do not meet the standards established by the U.S. Coast Guard. Today, we are focusing on U.S. Coast Guard–approved life jackets.

Images of Type II and Type IV life jackets are shown.

The most basic life jackets are compliance devices like a Type II device and a Type IV cushion. They are made from durable nylon materials and will float you well in the water.

Image of a Type III life jacket is shown.

The most common type of life jacket is the Type III device. They are easier to wear in the water and work very well for swimming. A Type III device is also more comfortable to wear for a long period of time and generally more affordable than other types of life jackets.

But just because a life jacket is a Type III device doesn't mean it's just a cheap and basic life jacket. There are Type III devices that are made for specific use activities such as paddleboarding and kayaking. They are made to fit well for the specific activity and usually come with many pockets and attachment points to hold all of your accessories.

Some life jackets are made from neoprene-like materials. These are especially nice for water sports activities such as jet skiing and water skiing. Neoprene has a nice feel on your skin, and it dries quickly after you take it off, so it feels fresh each time you wear it.

All of these life jackets depend upon foam to create the buoyancy to float you. But did you know that there are high-tech life jackets that use compressed gas inflation to float you?

Image of an inflatable life jacket is shown.

These are called inflatable life jackets. They are lighter, cooler, and easier to wear all day long. And even though they are much smaller than traditional life jackets, they can give you more than twice the buoyancy of traditional foam life jackets. This is nice when you may be in rough water conditions or on a larger body of water.

The life jacket uses an inner bladder that fills with compressed gas from a replaceable cylinder. The life jacket inflates either automatically when you fall in the water or manually when you pull the jerk to inflate the cord. The air can be released from the bladder, and the new cylinder can be installed also, which means the life jacket is reusable. And although the inflatable life jacket generally costs more than a traditional life jacket, the combination of wearability and reusability make them a great long-term investment that just some day might save your life.

Again, my name is Chris. Thanks for watching this video and for staying safe on the water.

On Screen: Life Jacket Association

www.lifejacketassociation.org