Ready, Set, Wear It! Before you and your family get out on the water this year, grab a life jacket and Wear It! “Ready, Set, Wear It!” serves as the kick-off to National Safe Boating Week, which is May 17-23, 2014. Did you know that nearly 85% of those who drown while boating were not wearing a life jacket?Drowning remains the primary cause of death in recreational boating accidents. Each year, as many as 500 lives could have been saved if boaters had worn their life jackets. Wearing a life jacket is one of the most effective and simple life-saving strategies for safe recreational boating. Plus, boaters are required to have a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket on board for every passenger on their vessel. The good news is that life jackets today make it easier than ever for a boater to have fun and stay safe on the water. Below are some great tips on life jacket safety and choosing the right life jacket for you! • Make a commitment to choose a life jacket that you will wear all the time. Select the best quality and best fitting life jacket that you can possibly afford. When you are out on the water in a comfortable jacket that looks and feels great, you’ll be very glad you spent a little more time, effort and money to choose the right life jacket. • It’s a good idea to wear a life jacket that allows unrestricted freedom of movement at all times on board an open boat, but it should also be snug enough that it will not ride up on your when you are in the water. • There is a life jacket made for almost any on-water activity and care should be taken in making sure that your choice of life jacket is one that is suitable for its intended on-water use. It must withstand high impacts with hitting the water, stay intact and attached to your body. • You will want to test the fit and floatation design of your new life jacket in the water before venturing out in the boat. The distribution of your own body mass is part of the overall flotation equation and until tested in the water you won’t really have a sense of how well your life jacket fits you. If it rides up, constricts your breathing, obstructs your vision, or tips you forward, you should exchange it for another design. • When not in use, store your jacket in a dry, cool, well-ventilated area out of direct sunlight. Annually check its performance by orally inflating it and leaving it overnight to ensure there are no leaks. Also, be sure to check for excessive wear and tear. The most important thing is this: Remember to Grab a Life Jacket and Wear It!
Posted on: Mon, 19 May 2014 14:14:56 +0000
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