Use of life jackets

Our support staff and personnel are on and around the water a lot. We come into contact with many situations. Every year on the large bodies of water, people drown because they hit the water and are not wearing a life jacket. That is why Vaarzeker urges you to wear a life jacket when sailing on the big waters! The examples are unfortunately legion;

Missing sailor on the IJsselmeer

Sailor drowned on Markermeer lake

Drowning person Gooimeer died

Wearing a life jacket

Many boats do carry life jackets. For fast motorboats, it is mandatory to carry a life jacket for every person on board. But a life jacket can only do its job if you wear it. And this still happens far too little.

What to look out for when buying

If you are going to buy a new life jacket, or if you already own one, pay attention to the following things.

• Make sure you have the right type of life jacket for. There are different vests on the market for small open sailboats than for cabin sailboats or powerboats
• Make sure the vest fits properly
• Find a cardigan that is comfortable. Only a nice-fitting vest will you actually start wearing by default!
• There are vests with different buoyancy ratings on the market. Find a vest that fits your situation
• Check life jackets regularly and have them inspected if necessary. An automatic life jacket that is 10 years old and not inspected can no longer be trusted
• Buy your life jacket from a trusted party. Preferably from a specialized water sports store, and not from the big online platforms. Unfortunately, the life jackets from those parties sometimes turn out to be unsafe. See also the episode of this from Radar

Different types

There are different life jackets and life preservers on the market. Therefore, a life jacket and a life jacket are not the same thing. A life jacket is a buoyancy aid used in water sports such as sailing in small open boats or kayaking. A life jacket is designed to save someone from drowning, sometimes even unconsciousness.

It further distinguishes between

• lifejackets with passive buoyancy, the `old-fashioned` orange block lifejackets.
• Inflatable life jackets that are manually activated
• Automatically activated inflatable life jackets

Buoyancy

The buoyancy of a life jacket or life jacket helps determine what use it is suitable for and is expressed in Newtons.

<100N

Below 100 newton buoyancy we speak of life jackets. Many life jackets for active water sportsmen are between 50 and 100 newton buoyancy.

150N

Many block lifejackets and the smaller inflatable lifejackets have a buoyancy of 150 newtons. These are suitable for most boaters on open water. With heavy clothing, such as sailing suits, waterproof jackets or boots, these life jackets are not powerful enough. Nor are they adequate on the open sea.

275N

The heaviest life jackets on the market have a buoyancy of 275 newtons. These are suitable under all conditions, at sea and with heavy waterproof clothing. They are still able to keep an unconscious person with their face above water even in those conditions.

Heavier not always better

The heaviest life jacket is not always the best. The best life jacket is the one that you wear and fits your situation. A 275N life jacket is heavier and therefore rather less comfortable. If your situation allows for a 150N vest, then you are more likely to actually wear it. Take this into consideration when purchasing.

Get good advice

As with so many things, good customized advice is important. Discuss your situation with the specialist at the time of purchase. Our members with assistance complete can also get tailored advice from us over the phone.