Lifejackets

[Oliver]

We're going to the Boat Show next week with a shopping list. Top of the priorities are lifejackets for the kids and the dogs.

 

Any recommendations as to make and type, particularly for the kids (aged 32 months, 14 months & 3 months)?

 

We were thinking about the gas inflation ones but understand that you have to get new gas canisters each time the jacket has inflated. Are the replacement canisters readily available from chandlers or would we have to stock up before the start of a 2 or 3 week holiday,coz sure as eggs is eggs, if one of the little darlings is going in they will go in at the very beginning of the holiday.

[DHutch]

We have two "pull tag to inflate" gas canister lifejackets, which we use for these occasions, if they?re inflated, they need the canister replacing, but because they not the Auto release ones, if you fall in but don?t pull the tag, the ok for another day.

 

And for Small dingy Sailing (another hobby) we use "buoyancy aids" these are the neoprene foam ones which don?t need inflating, and provide padding/protection all around, but are still relatively easy to move about in, which is important on small boats, like toppers, where the room under the sail is limited.

 

These are not to be confused with "life jackets" which have the foam collar, and have all the padding at the front. These are what?s used on the big yachts, the much baulker to ware, especially if you?re trying to crouch down, because of the extra padding at to front,

 

Daniel

[DHutch]

Manual release "air only" Lifejacket (this is the one we use on the NB)

 

"classic" Boyancey aid (this is what we had at schools sailing club)

 

"sport" boyancey aid (this is the one that i use for sailing)

 

Foamfilled Life Jacket, as used on yachts

 

danel

[David Schweizer]

There are nearly always quite a few lifejackets for children on ebay, usually in unused condition. certainly worth a look.

[Alastair]

I bought a bunch of 'Compass own brand' lifejackets (foam type). These were cheap, and in tests did pretty well. www.compass24.com

[dor]

Rather fail to see the point of "pull tag to inflate" life jackets. Certainly in the canal. If you can pull the tag you can probably get out. Young children are less likely to understand the need, and they are the ones most likely to need the LJ. As for the dog......And following my recent dunking, I realised how easy it would have been to have been knocked out. Not much use having a tag to pull then.

 

Surely for children, the safest thing would be a proper foam-based jacket. Maybe a bit cumbersome, but at least you know it will float them, preferably the right way up, if they go in.

[DHutch]

Rather fail to see the point of "pull tag to inflate" life jackets. Certainly in the canal. If you can pull the tag you can probably get out. Young children are less likely to understand the need, and they are the ones most likely to need the LJ. As for the dog......And following my recent dunking, I realised how easy it would have been to have been knocked out. Not much use having a tag to pull then.

 

Surely for children, the safest thing would be a proper foam-based jacket. Maybe a bit cumbersome, but at least you know it will float them, preferably the right way up,  if they go in.

 

Yeah, well i guess it very much depends what your looking to acheve, we use the manual inflate ones, becuase there nice and compact, and comply with the regulations for openwaters etc

 

- but i think if i had small kids aboard, i would get them a small Foamfilled Lifejacket, with coller.