| A quick quide to Lifejackets & Buoyancy Aids
A lifejacket is a safety flotation device used mainly for sailing but are also used in industrial and commercial situations such as on oil rigs and fishing boats. There are 4 main types, automatic (air only), manual (air only), manual (air and foam) and foam only lifejackets.
The automatic type is designed to inflate when a person comes into contact with water. A manual type has a cord which has to be pulled to inflate the lifejacket, enabling the wearer to swim without the lifejacket being activated automatically. The Air and foam inflatable lifejackets have inherent, permanent buoyancy provided by integral foam. Additional inflation by using an oral tube can upgrade the buoyancy. All lifejackets will turn the wearer over if they land face down in the water and position them with their head out of the water. The buoyancy rating ranges from 100Newtons to 275Newtons. The higher the number the higher the performance: for example, a 275N lifejacket is designed for offshore sailing and severe conditions when maximum protection is required.
To be classified as a lifejacket it must have a buoyancy rating of 100N or more. Lifejackets are suitable for both swimmers and non-swimmers and the chosen lifejacket for sailors wearing heavy duty clothing. Lifejackets are available either with a harness or without. Wearing a deck safety harness while on a sailing yacht is mandatory at night under RORC (Royal Ocean Racing Club) regulations and highly recommended by all safety as sea organisations whenever there is rough weather. When wearing a harness and attached to a boat via a safety line the chances of the wearer being lost overboard is lessened, making recovery and survival more probable.
Lifejackets without harnesses is recommended for situations where being attached to a boat is more dangerous than floating free in the water. Powerboats, speed boats and rigid inflatable boats are examples where being towed alongside at high speed would be dangerous. Non-harness lifejackets are lighter in weight and do not have metal fittings or a safety line attachment point. Buoyancy Aids come in a variety of Newtons, commonly either 50N or 70N. 50 Newton buoyancy aids are suitable for most placid inland rivers and waterways and 70 Newton for moving water.
A buoyancy aid enables the wearer to float or swim but will not turn the wearer over if they are face down in the water. They are suitable for all type of surface Watersports such as canoeing, kayaking, dinghy sailing. High speed powered water sports such as skiing or jet skiing need buoyancy aids with additional features such as padded side panels and multiple belts for a secure fit.
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