Personal Floating Devices 101
Posted by Boating Laws - 26/01/09 at 10:01 pmPersonal Floating Devices 101
This article is written for the sole purpose of spreading the facts about Personal Floatation Devices. For boat lovers, here’s your chance to gain knowledge about PFD which is one of the most important required equipment in a vessel.
1. Personal Floatation Devices is known by several names. The most common of these names are the life savers and/or life jackets. Some people also call PFD a life preserver, a floatation suit and/or life vest. The constant word in the many names of PFD is life mainly because personal floatation devices are made to save lives.
2. There are many kinds of personal floatation devices. These different kinds are divided by use- for business or leisure use. The life preservers used by kayakers and recreational boaters are different in color, shape and make from the life jackets used by airplane and ship passengers.
3. If you have a personal boat that is used for leisure or recreation, you must have at least one of the United States Coastal Guards-approved wearable personal floatation devices for each boat passenger. It is also a must that this type of boat is armed with one, at least 16 ft long, throwable PFD.
4. It is also mandatory that the PFD that you have on your boat can be accessed easily so that in case of emergency, people can effortlessly grab one. Make sure that the floating devices are not packed or tied tightly. If you’re planning to travel with kids, be certain that they are wearing age appropriate floating devices.
