Life Jacket Selection
Selecting a proper fitting life jacket is a critical step to water safety. Whenever you are around open water, especially on a boat, you must have a properly fitting life jacket. There are a few tips to help identify what life jacket is right for you and your loved one. The video below shows proper and improper life jacket fits for infants, children, and youth. As a rule of thumb the shoulders of a life jacket should not rise above the ears when jacket is one and pulled up by shoulders.
United States Coast Guard approved life jackets are the safest life jackets available.
The chart below explains what the different buoyancy rates mean on the inside of a life jacket to help simplify proper life jacket selection.
Five easy steps make choosing the right adult life jacket a breeze.
- Check label to ensure that your weight falls between the weight limits listed on the label
- Make sure life jacket clips or zippers are in working order
- Hold your arms up straight up over your head
- Have a friend grab the top of your shoulder opening and gently pull up
- There should not be any excess room above shoulder opening or the jacket will not be able to support your head above the water