Our question(s) this week deals with Inflatable PFD’s.  As I stated in my last post, this question came about after I noticed on the sales floor of a local chandlery that many boat owners, both experienced and inexperienced, didn’t realize the legal requirements of Inflatable PFD’s.

ANSWERS

Answer 1; Inflatable PFD’s carry a Coast Guard designation as “Type 5” PFD’s.

Answer 2; To be counted as a PFD a Type 5, Inflatable PFD, MUST be worn!

Pretty much all who commented knew Type 5 PFD’s must be worn!  In addition, one commenter from Australia reported an inspection by a certified inspector is required annually in Australia.  I apologize I cannot give this respondent credit for his comment because for some reason I cannot find my posts on Facebook after a day or so and I wasn’t smart enough to write his name down when I read the comment!

For years the CG resisted accepting Inflatables as one of the required PFD’s a boat must have on board.  Their feeling was few were going to perform any maintenance and lives would be lost because when needed the PFD wouldn’t inflate or would leak.

Then, someone figured out that if allowing Inflatables meant more people wore a PFD when boating they might save lives that might otherwise be lost, they changed their policy and finally assigned a Type number with the stipulation an Inflatable PFD must be worn to count as one of the required PFD’s onboard.

In addition, Inflatable Type 5 PFD’s are not certified for children under 16.  Inflatables PFD’s are only sized for adults.
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Inflatable PFD’s do require more attention than do the traditional foam-filled PFD’s.  Annually, at the very least, the tablet in the auto-inflator needs replacing as does the inflator bottle. Corrosion can cause the inflation mechanism to become sticky or outright fail and, it can cause the gas bottle to leak its contents so there is no gas to inflate the jacket when required.

In case of accidental inflation,  carry one or two rearm kits and learn how to rearm your inflatable before going to sea.  We get quite a few people returning their inflatables because each time they install a rearm kit the jacket inflates.  It isn’t difficult to install the rearm kit but there is a procedure to prevent accidental and costly inflations when rearming.

Crewmembers and guests need to know where PFD’s are stowed and practice donning PFD’s of any type before getting underway, learning how to put one on in an emergency is not the time to learn!

Inflatables have more straps, have a pull tag to inflate manually, have an oral inflation tube, all of which everyone with Inflating PFD’s, whether they are automatic or manual, needs to be intimately familiar with.

I also highly recommend those using an inflatable, inflate the jacket, either with the oral inflation tube or if you wish to experience automatic inflation by getting in the water.  These jackets provide a lot of buoyancy and can make moving around and swimming difficult.  Also, some people may find they want leg straps to keep the jacket from riding up around their head, some brands provide leg straps or have them available as an option.

Like everything else to do with boating, practice with your equipment before you need it, prior knowledge of what a piece of gear is capable of, what is going to happen when you hit the water or pull the inflation lanyard, will all go a long ways towards preventing panic in an emergency!