Boaters in the Pacific Northwest take a big risk when they do not wear lifejackets. When people fall into these cold waters, often 50 degrees or less, the biggest risk is hypothermia. Lifejackets not only keep boaters afloat, they will forestall injury and death due to hypothermia.
Why? They have insulating qualities that reduce the loss of body heat in the upper body. Lifejacket wearers also do not have to use up energy keeping themselves afloat.
Boaters often do not wear lifejackets because they do not have the right kind. A cheap solution is to buy bulky high performing but cheap ones just to satisfy the Coast Guard regulations. They often get stored and ignored. The right way of selecting a lifejacket is to find comfortable and wearable ones suitable for the way a boat is being used.
Operators of a small outboard boat would want to choose lifejackets that are lightweight and a substitute for clothing they would normally wear to keep warm. Sailboaters often choose inflatable devices because they are lightweight and do not restrict movement when handling sails. There is always a wearable lifejacket to suit any boating activity.
Tony Ford, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
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