Understanding Life Jackets and Personal Flotation Devices

Life Jackets and PFDs 101

Chances are, if you've bought your child a life jacket or personal flotation device, you've set out to look for one that was "Coast Guard Approved."

But did you ever wonder what being “Coast Guard Approved” actually means?

Despite being a lifeguard, swim instructor, and water safety expert for more than 35 years, I was not entirely sure what that approval actually entailed.

Knowing that life jackets and PFDs are critically important pieces of the water safety puzzle, I figured I would get to sorting it all out and come up with the answers we are all looking for.

THANK THE UNIVERSE that I came across the Boat U.S. Foundation website. I read through pages of information that made so much more sense to me, but I still couldn't find answers to my questions.  

Off to the "About Us" page I went. I clicked on the "Meet the Crew" link and found someone I knew would help me. Amanda is the Director of Education for the Boat U.S. Foundation, and after a couple of emails back and forth, she gave me about an hour to answer all my questions. She was sent from Life jacket Heaven to me 😊 

Now that I have the answers, I want to help you understand the basic facts about life jackets and PFDs so that you can choose the right one for the right situation. 

Let’s get to it!

What does it mean for a device to be “Coast Guard Approved?”

“Coast Guard Approved” means that the flotation device you are using on your child has been approved to be worn by them ON A BOAT. 

“Life jackets must be U.S. Coast Guard-approved in order to meet carriage (boat) requirements.” -Source

This means that if your child wears it on a boat and you are stopped on the water, you will not receive a citation.

That's it. For boats.

And before we get further into this conversation, I want to make it clear that the Coast Guard DOES NOT approve devices for use IN A POOL.

“The Coast Guard does not review PFD design, construction, or performance…” -Source

“The Coast Guard does not test materials or systems for approval but rather specifies the required test methods and minimum performance criteria for approval.” -Source

Hold on. What?

If the Coast Guard is not doing the testing, reviewing, and evaluating the life jackets, WHO IS?

“Product testing must be performed by a Coast Guard Accepted or Recognized Independent Laboratory.”

All "Coast Guard approved" flotation devices undergo testing through Underwriters Laboratory. If you look inside the life jacket your child has, you should see "UL," which means it was tested by Underwriters Laboratory.

What exactly is being tested, reviewed, and evaluated by Underwriters Laboratories?

They approve the design and assembly of the life jacket and perform technical testing for buoyancy. They basically say that a specific life jacket is designed to keep a certain person (based on weight) afloat, under certain water circumstances, for a certain amount of time.

They DO NOT test devices in water environments or use a child in testing. These are scientific tests only. 

What is the Coast Guard's actual involvement in this entire process, which they approved? 

“Coast Guard engineers evaluate…the laboratory's test report.” - Source

If it passes U.L. with flying colors, the Coast Guard can approve it.

So now you may be asking, "Does being Coast Guard approved have nothing to do with how SAFE my child will be with it on in the water?"

The Coast Guard approval provides ZERO guarantees or promises that these devices will keep your child safe in the water.

This is shocking to you, I am sure.  

Parents put these flotation devices on their children and let them go into all kinds of bodies of water, MOSTLY POOLS, giving them inappropriate independence because they have been led to believe that their children are safe because the devices state that it has been "Coast Guard approved." 

Coast Guard approval also does not mean that it has been evaluated to help your child learn to swim or to be a swim aid of any kind. Again, it has ABSOLUTELY NOT been evaluated for use in a POOL.

Since we know we must put our children in life jackets in uncontrolled water environments, how do we know which one to use?  

The first step is to understand the weight limits, classes, design types, and performance levels you have to choose from. This information from The U.S. Coast Guards Boating Safety Division breaks down all of those elements: 

Youth Weight Limits:

Youth - users with a weight over 55 lbs. and less than or equal to 88 lbs.

Child - users with a weight over 33 lbs. and less than or equal to 55 lbs.

Infant - users with a weight less than or equal to 33 lbs.

Classes:

Those that provide face-up in-water support to the user regardless of physical conditions (life jackets).

OR

Those that require the user to make swimming and other postural movements to position the user with the face out of the water (buoyancy aid).

Four Child-Relevant Design Types:

Type I (Inherent) - has the greatest required inherent buoyancy and turns most unconscious persons in the water from a face-down position to a vertical and slightly backward position, therefore greatly increasing one's chance of survival.

Type II (Inflatable)- intended to turn some unconscious persons from a face-down position in the water to a position where the wearer's respiration is not impeded.

Type III (Hybrid)- intended to support a conscious person in the water in an upright position. This type of device is not required to turn an unconscious person in the water from a face-down position to a position where the wearer's respiration is not impeded.

Type V (Special Purpose)- is approved for restricted uses or activities such as boardsailing, or commercial white water rafting. These devices may not be suitable for other boating activities. The label indicates whether a particular design of Type V can be used in a specific application, what restrictions or limitations apply, and its performance type.

Performance Levels: 

Level 50 - intended for use by those who are competent swimmers and who are near to bank or shore, or who have help and a means of rescue close at hand.

Level 70 - intended for use by those who have help or a means of rescues close at hand, or who are near a bank or shore. These devices have minimal bulk but cannot be expected to keep the user safe for a long period of time in disturbed water.

Level 100 - intended or those who may have to wait for rescues, but are likely to do so in sheltered water. The device should not be used in rough water.

Level 150 - intended for general application or for use with foul weather clothing. It will turn an unconscious person into a safe position and requires no subsequent action by the user to maintain this position.

Level 275 - intended primarily for offshore use under extreme conditions.

I know. That is a lot of information, but it is SO important.  

Now, I want you to look inside the life jacket. You may see a line of pictographs, something like this.

The one that I feel is most important for children is this one. 

This pictograph will tell you clearly if the device you are choosing for your child will roll them from a face-down position to a face-up position.

THIS IS CRITICAL.

If 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.

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.

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 summarize, here are some things to consider when choosing the right flotation device.

When you buy a car seat for your child, you do all the homework. You know which way the seat should face based on their weight. You have read the reviews and asked your online communities for their recommendations.  

You should exercise the same due diligence when choosing a life jacket or personal flotation device for your child.

Please remember, the #1 cause of accidental death in children under age five is drowning, not car accidents.

We need to focus on what makes a life jacket a good fit for your child because, in the end, every child needs one if they are going to be in uncontrolled water or on a boat.  

Here are some of the things you need to keep in mind when choosing the best life jacket for your child:

• Children come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Don't ignore the weight limits, but focus on the FIT. If you need help understanding how to assess proper fit, I highly recommend the Boat U.S. Foundation's Guide, which you can download here.

• Buy a life jacket that will roll your child to their back if the need ever arises. It's Level 1 for sure, and Level 2 for most.

• After buying a life jacket, test it out in the water to ensure it fits and works properly.

• Buy for NOW…not for a “they will grow into it” situation.

• Don't plan to keep the same life jacket around forever and pass it on to other children.

Let's go back to the analogy of a car seat. Think about a life jacket in the same way. You don't buy a car seat for the three-year-old you WILL have—you buy for the infant you will be bringing home from the hospital. There are weight restrictions or requirements in car seats. The same can be said for life jackets. If your car seat is in a car accident, you replace it. When a life jacket is faded and frayed, you will also replace it.

Now that you know more, I hope you can research and choose the correct device for your child!

Want to learn more about when and how to use life jackets in uncontrolled water and what to do about controlled water (pool) environments?

The one that I feel is most important for children is this one.