How to Use Personal Flotation Devices Appropriately
Personal flotation devices (PFDs) and life jackets have become controversial topics for parents, aquatic professionals, drowning prevention advocates, and swim teachers alike.
There is factual information about life jackets and PFDs—and then there are personal opinions.
In this post, I will share some basic facts (for even more, check out this post) and the personal opinions I hold as a swim instructor with over 35 years of experience and a mom of three.
I can’t make you THINK or DO anything, one way or the other.
Instead, I aim to give you all the information I have to offer so you can make informed, wise choices for your child. After all, they are counting on you!
The “H” strategy of the Watching Initiative is “Have proper personal flotation devices.”
By proper, I mean appropriate for the environment. When making decisions about PFDs, there are two types of water environments to consider: uncontrolled and controlled.
Staying Safe in Uncontrolled Water
Uncontrolled water environments include natural water sources and outdoor human-made water sources where you can’t see the bottom.
Here are some examples of uncontrolled water environments and activities:
Lakes
Ponds
Rivers
Oceans
Docks
Boats
Snorkeling
Paddle Boarding
Kayaking
Paddle Boating
Jet Skiing
In these environments and situations, life jackets must be worn at all times by everyone, adults and children alike. It’s SO important for adults to model safe behavior by always wearing their life jackets. Think of this as a similar situation to wearing your helmet whenever you bike with your kids. Remember, children learn by observation more than by words alone.
https://watersafetywithmissdayna.com/blog/understanding-life-jackets-and-personal-flotation-devicesIf you put your child in a life jacket so that they are SAFER in the water, they need to be in a life jacket that could roll them over from a face-down position to a face-up position.
A Type I life jacket will do this. A Type II life jacket will do this for MOST children. A Type III or V life jacket will NOT roll a child from face down to face up. To learn more about the types of life jackets and what it really means when a device claims to be Coast Guard Approved, check out this post with all the facts.
So, if you are using a device on your child that has arm floaties and a floatie band across their chest, that is a Type III device, and it WILL NOT ROLL THEM OVER. To be clear, puddle jumpers and armbands are unsafe for use in uncontrolled water environments.
So, how do you choose the right life jacket for your child?
Choose the Right Type
You need to purchase a life jacket that will roll your child to their back if needed. Ideally, choose a Type I device. At the very least, select a Type II device. Type III devices DO NOT roll the wearer into a face-up position and should NOT be used in uncontrolled water environments. Here’s the icon you need to look for on the device to ensure it will roll your child face up:
Ensure Proper Fit
Children come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, and the fit of a life jacket impacts its ability to work correctly. Don't ignore the weight limit, but focus more on ensuring a proper fit. If you need help knowing how to do that, I highly recommend the Boat US Foundation's Guide, which you can download here. Buy for the size your child is today—this is not the time for a “they’ll grow into it” mentality.
Test it Out
After buying a life jacket, test it out in the water to ensure it fits and works properly.
All right, now that you understand the importance of using the right type of life jacket with a proper fit whenever you're around uncontrolled water let's discuss the trickier scenario: what to do at the pool.
Controlled Water Environments: The Heated Debate Over PFDs in the Pool
Controlled water environments, and by that I primarily mean pools, are where advice and opinions get a little less clear.
The swim instructor in me wants to say, "No flotation devices ever when you are in the pool." But the mom in me (the one who remembers taking three kids under 5 to the pool with just my two hands) realizes how challenging that advice is.
The truth is, my kids sometimes wore flotation devices (water wings) in the pool, and I was always actively within arms' reach, watching them.
I know it's much easier to say NEVER and much harder to grapple with the nuance of when and how to use PFDs in the pool. I get that many swim instructors and advocates out there may disagree with what I'm about to share, but here's the thing:
Telling parents the only right way is to register their kids for swimming lessons and never use PFDs is not working.
First, there are not enough certified and trained instructors in this country to handle the families that want lessons now. Second, swim lessons are not a viable option for every family for a variety of reasons, like cost. Third, some families just don't believe it's a priority, and their kids still deserve a chance to be safe around water.
So, instead of giving parents an all-or-nothing choice, I'm going to attempt to offer some "middle ground" guidelines.
I don't want anyone out there saying, "Well, Miss Dayna said that it is okay to wear life jackets or flotation devices in the pool,” so let’s get VERY specific about what the "middle ground" is.
If your child . . .
cannot yet swim independently
does not yet have the skills to save their own life
is in water too deep for them to touch the bottom
doesn’t have access to stairs or steps to play on
doesn’t want to be constantly held by an adult
Then you can use a PFD in the pool as long as you follow ALL 5 of these guidelines:
Always invite your child to enter the water and remain within arm’s reach of them actively watching at all times.
If your child needs help from a flotation device, they are not safe and independent swimmers and should NEVER be in the water on their own. Ever. What would prevent them from thinking that it is okay another time if they are allowed into the water on their own once? Also, sometimes, when a child wears a floatation device, they feel like they are in charge. They can go in and out of the pool whenever they want, and they answer to themselves. This is a recipe for disaster, especially if there is ever that one time that they forget they don't have the device on, they end up in the pool and you didn't know they were going there.
Ensure they spend as much time out of the floatation device or life jacket as they do in it.
The more time they spend in one, the less their muscles know what to do when out of one. Remember, currently, devices are being OVERUSED or EXCLUSIVELY. Be aware of the time your child is in one, and be sure they get time out of the device during the same pool visit.
Have them practice being in the water without a PFD if they can reach the bottom.
Any time you are in a controlled water environment like a pool and your child can touch the bottom, allow them the opportunity to be in the water without a device on. Learning how their body acts and feels in the water is essential, and since you will be right there, within their arm's reach, they should feel safe to explore.
Encourage them to practice waiting during their “out of device” time.
Allow them the opportunity to work on their “Where there is water, I will WAIT!” skill set by sitting on the side of the pool on their Waiting Mat during “device off times” when they don’t want to be held. If you haven’t heard of the “Where there is water, I will WAIT!” strategy and the Waiting Whales Water Waiting Mat, you can find out more about it here. It’s okay for your kids to sit on the side of the pool and wait until you are ready to play again. It is okay for them to sit on a chair and wait until you are prepared to go back into the pool. WAIT is a powerful word; the more you use it, the more your child will respond to it.
Never allow your child to jump into the pool with a device on.
Drownings happen when children fall in or jump into a pool without a device on. When your child jumps into a pool over and over again with a floatation device on, they are accustomed to the device bringing them back up to the surface of the water. They don't know that it's the device buoying them; all they know is that they come back up every time they jump in. This provides a false sense of security. Back in September, I had a new student start with me. He was very comfortable being in the water, and when it was time to jump into the pool at the end of class, he told me he wanted to do it by himself. Well, he jumped in all right. His feet were down, and his head was up, but he was a good 2 – 3 feet underwater and didn't even try to resurface. It took me about 2 seconds to realize what was going on. I had to reach down and pull him up and roll him to his back. His eyes were as big as saucers. His parents' eyes were as big as saucers. The first words out of my mouth were, "Has he always worn a floatation device in the water?" Of course, the answer was YES. If that little boy ever jumped into a pool without his floatation device on, without adult eyes on him, he could have drowned. If your child is going to wear a floatation device for a little while, put it on after they jump in. If they want to jump in 10 times first, have them finish jumping and then put the device on. Never in my life have I heard of a child drowning because they got into the middle of the pool and took their life jacket off. Children drown right where they enter the pool, usually right at the edge.
These are the flotation device guidelines I used at the pool with my own children. They are also the advice I give to families in my swim program when they ask me to help them figure out how to handle this tricky decision.
I can’t decide for you when it comes to your child and life jackets or PFDs, but I hope that this information was helpful. I also realize I may have just created more questions for you today than I answered.
If you have questions, I'm always here for you. Reach out anytime, and please continue to explore the other Watching Initiative Strategies to help keep kids safe in and around water.