Inflatable Life Jackets

We are delighted to tell you that inflatable PFDs have been approved! After more than a decade of debate and study, the USCG has now approved a number of inflatable PFDs by several companies. USCG-approved manual inflatables have been available for several years. Nine models of manual/automatic inflatables were approved by the USCG during the late summer of 2007. This means that the approved manual and manual/automatic inflatables can be used when worn to meet your USCG requirements for life jackets.

What makes inflatables significantly different from inherently buoyant vests, such as those filled with foam, is that they are more comfortable to wear. They are lightweight, provide more buoyancy, and tend to be much cooler in hot weather. However, inflatables are not for everyone. They are not recommended for children. Also, they are more expensive and require maintenance. Inflatables contain a CO2 cartridge that inflates the vest. Manual/automatic models can be inflated manually with a ripcord, and also inflate automatically upon contact with water; the manual models require the wearer to pull a ripcord to activate inflation. This cartridge must be properly installed and replaced with a new one after the vest has been inflated. The new standards require indicators that show whether the CO2 cartridge is properly installed and ready for use.

The new manual/automatic inflatables are very different from earlier, unapproved models. Each includes an extra CO2 cylinder and cap in an inside pocket. This lets you rearm it immediately if you accidently inflate the vest. The included kit rearms it as a manual model, meaning it can be reinflated by pulling the ripcord. This is intended for emergency use only. We also recommend having a complete rearming kit onboard for each inflatable, which will allow you to rearm it completely as a manual/automatic. The new vests have been designed to make rearming simpler, and include detailed written and illustrated rearming instructions.

When inflated, inflatable PFDs provide greater buoyancy than traditional jackets and do a better job keeping a man-overboard's (MOB) head out of the water, especially important when the MOB is unconscious. They also contain an oral inflation tube so a MOB can maintain buoyancy for an extended period of time. Manual inflatables are usually classified as Type III PFDs. Manual/automatic inflatables are classified as a Type V, with Type II or Type III performance.

In the only large-scale nationwide field testing of inflatables, the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety conducted a three-year study that involved 520 volunteer boaters using eight different models on the market from 1990-93. The majority of boaters using the devices in all types of boating and waterways said they liked the wearability of inflatables and would choose one in an emergency over a traditional life jacket. Participants overwhelmingly liked inflatables because they were more comfortable.