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!

Small Craft Safety Equipment

Every boat needs safety equipment... From the smallest aluminum boat to the biggest commercial tankers you need the right safety gear. The size of the vessel and the waterways you use can be a factor in choosing the minimum safety gear.
On a small craft the number one essential piece of equipment is a life vest for every single person on board! This is a no exception to the rule piece of safety gear no matter the size of the vessel but in small craft it is often the only safety gear. Make sure they are working properly and all of the straps are in good shape.
To supplement your life vest you can add a strobe to the vest that will go off should you fall over board and end up in the water. You may also consider a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) not to be confused with a messenger device like SPOT which also has a place and a purpose. My advice with SPOT is be sure you pay your subscription fees and double check your batteries.
If you have a small craft over 20 feet you may want to consider a small life raft such as a Revere Coastal Compact, it is light weight and only a single buoyancy tube but will get you out of the water if you capsize. You may accompany the life raft with a small ditch bag.
Pick a safety package based on where you will be in your small craft. Consider the possibility that your boat could capsize, consider the possibility they there may not be anyone else around if you go off course, and remember to consider the fact that cell phone batteries die and most all cell phones are not water proof.
I feel compelled to talk about small craft safety today based on a couple of recent stories in Texas.
Safety gear is no guarantee that you will come out of the situation alive and well but, you have to arm yourself with the best possible equipment to have the best chance at survival.

Coast Guard Rescues 2 After Boat Capsizes in San Antonio Bay Near Port Lavaca

And this story
Coast Guard Suspends Search for Missing Fisherman in Galveston Bay

Here is my small craft Safety Equipment Package Idea

This package includes:

*Revere Coastal Compact 4 Life Raft with Canopy

*Revere Survivor Ditch Bag

*4 Revere Comfort Man Inflatable PFDs Auto Activation

*1 USCG/SOLAS Hand Flare

*2 USCG/SOLAS Parachute Flares

* Revere Day Pak Plus First Aid Kit

* Revere Hear Me Whistle

* Revere See Me Strobe

* McMurdo Fastfind 210 PLB

Remember we can customize a package for you!