Personal flotation

It is important to get the choice of personal flotation device right each time a person goes afloat, particularly for people who may not be able to actively participate in their own self-righting if they were to end up in the water.

The RYA’s website has information about buoyancy aids and lifejackets, but a useful start point is:

Buoyancy aids

• suitable where you might reasonably expect to end up in the water, for example if there is a risk of capsize or inversion.
• work well for conscious people and for those with enough mobility to actively participate in their self-righting
• an aid to buoyancy where it is assumed help is close at hand.

Lifejackets

• suitable where you do not expect to enter the water, for example where it is not anticipated the vessel will capsize or invert.
• they can turn an unconscious person or someone who cannot actively participate in their self-righting into a safe position and require no subsequent action by the user to maintain this position.
• can increase the risk of entrapment where there is a risk of capsize or inversion.

All flotation devices should be well maintained, serviced and be ready for use. Remember the devices only work if they are worn.

Lifejackets and buoyancy aids have different levels of buoyancy and for self-inflating lifejackets, different mechanisms to trigger auto-inflation – all of which will influence the choice you make. 

The person

Factors related to the person are likely to have more of an impact on the performance of flotation devices than the characteristics of the device itself. Specifically, if using a lifejacket which is designed to self-right, self-righting can never be guaranteed due to a wide range of variables.

The variables include but are not limited to:

• Swimming ability
• The ability to actively participate in self-righting once in the water,
• The way people are likely to fall into the water (for example people may slip out of the boat head first and end up face down) and whether this will affect the performance of personal flotation device, particularly trigger mechanisms,
• The buoyancy of the person – as a general rule people with more buoyant legs may require a larger volume flotation device. Buoyancy in legs might be affected by muscle wastage (muscle has negative buoyancy) and bone density,
• The size and shape of the person – for example a small and thin person with a wide lifejacket may find self-righting capacity is impaired,
• The clothing the person is wearing can have a significant impact on buoyancy. Dry suits and anything that enhances buoyancy around the legs can have a negative impact on an individual’s ability to right themselves, or a lifejacket’s self-righting capacity,
• Whether a person is likely to accidently or deliberately activate an auto inflate mechanism.

The environment

Factors relating to the environment should also influence choice, including:

• The vessel - its stability and righting ability
• The conditions
• The activity
• The sailing area

General

Whatever device is chosen by the sailor or a competent person allocating equipment the following are important points to remember:

1. Always take into account the characteristics of the specific device, have it tested against their body type; and ensure all concerned are aware of the device’s limitations.
2. The experience of falling into the water can be quite challenging. So the value of familiarisation of entering the water and experiencing how the chosen flotation device performs cannot be overstated. 
3. If using a lifejacket which is designed to self-right, self-righting can never be guaranteed due to a wide range of variables.
4. Fixed life-jackets rather than auto / manual inflate may be less effective at self-righting – the inflatable life-jackets may provide some momentum as one chamber inflates ahead of the other.

Implications for practice and procedures

• Identify who is competent to allocate and fit personal flotation devices to sailors and ensure they are aware of the issues discussed in this document,
• Implement a process to identify which participants may not be able to actively participate in their self-righting if they were to be in the water,
• In an environment where it is possible a sailor could end up in the water, and a careful risk assessment leads to a decision to use a life-jacket for people with limited mobility who may not be able to actively participate in self-righting once in the water, it is important to plan for:

1. Informing the safety fleet of who is afloat with a life-jacket.
2. ensuring there is safety cover in the immediate vicinity.
3. reducing sail area and using mast head flotation (which reduces but may not eliminate the risk of inversion
4. the area of operation.
5. the thresholds for stopping activity.