PFD Talk - Spring Safety Check List for Leisure Boating

I would like to talk about PFDs (personal flotation devices), they are required for all boaters by the USCG. With Spring approaching it is a good idea to start checking all of your boating safety gear, my suggestion is start with you PFDs. Inspect each one for rips, tears, holes and frays at the seams. Check all straps and hardware for damage, check the buoyant materials for shrinkage and damage, and finally put it on and check to ensure it still properly fits from last boating season.

The USCG recreational boating requirements for PFDs are different than commercial vessel requirements and are the same across the board for children. All children must be wearing a PFD while on the boat.
Bellow are the rules for recreational boaters in our home state of Texas. Always check your state's laws about boating, also remember to check out boating rules if you will be traveling and boating as they may not be the same.

Texas PFD Requirements

• Children under 13 years of age in motorboats under 26 feet must wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD while underway.
• All vessels under 16 feet (including canoes and kayaks) must be equipped with one Type I, II, III or V for each person on board.
• Vessels 16 feet and longer, in addition to the Type I, II, III or V for each person on board, must have one Type IV which must be readily accessible. Canoes and kayaks over 16 feet are exempt from the Type IV requirement.

So now we can talk about leisure boating and PFDs the USCG has a great informational page on PFDs you can CLICK HERE to visit. They have advice on how to choose a properly fitting PFD, checking them, caring for them and great information about cold water survival all in one place. There is a whole section that describes each "Type" of  PFD for Example a Type I is Best for all waters, open ocean, rough seas, or remote water, where rescue may be slow coming.  Abandon-ship life jacket for commercial vessels and all vessels carrying passengers for hire.

Type I PFD

Besides the USCG Type given to the PFD there are a couple of styles of PFD traditional inherently buoyant and Inflatable. Both styles have a Type given to them and can be identified at the time of purchase.
Inflatable PFDs are not for use by persons under age 16 as they may not be able to fully understand their operation. This means someone under age 16 will likely not understand how to manually activate the inflatable PFD if the auto activation should fail.

Mustang Inflatable PFD MD3184

Revere Comfortmax Plus Inflatable PFD

Revere general boating inherently buoyant PFD

The best PFD is always one they you are wearing and fits properly. This gives inflatable PFDs the advantage because they are more comfortable. For leisure boating in Texas carrying a life jacket of the proper type meets the requirements but will not save your life if you go overboard without it.
Many inflatable PFDs have 34-35 pounds of buoyancy where most standard non-inflatable PFDs only provide between 15.5 and 22 pounds of buoyancy depending on the type.

I would like to introduce you to the Mustang Survival MD0450 Inflatable Vest PFD with LIFT (Life-saving Inflatable Flotation Technology) This vest features Auto Hydrostatic Activation and has 40 pounds of Buoyancy when inflated. This is a high quality inflatable PFD designed to meet the needs of offshore boating. You can purchase high quality Mustang Survival products from Triad Marine.

Spring is around the corner and as we prepare the boats for another season of fun we need to make sure we are checking the boat's safety equipment. Check your PFDs and replace damaged ones. Consider purchasing at least one new safety item every Spring to accompany the current safety gear. There is always room for a PFD you will wear on every boat.

Please feel free to contact us if you need help choosing a PFD or any safety equipment for your boat. Also remember regulations and laws change from time to time so it is a good idea to check each Spring to make sure you are in compliance.
Happy and Safe Boating!