This year, Mother’s Day falls on May 10th – at a time when boaters around the country are gearing up for the long-awaited summer boating season. Spring is when most owners are busy launching, inspecting and outfitting their boats for summer fun – but many still forget the
most important equipment every boat must have onboard: a life jacket for every driver and passenger, including the children. This year, give Mom a Mother’s Day gift she truly will appreciate – a safe summer boating season for the kids, aided by life jackets that fit them properly.
Here are 6 tips from the Sea Tow Foundation, a non-profit organization formed to promote boating safety and life jacket use, on how to make sure your child has the right life jacket to help keep him or her safe on the water this summer.
- Essential outfit. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, all children under 13 years of age must wear a life jacket when a boat is under way, unless they are below deck or in an enclosed cabin. (Note: State regulations may vary; visit ). The Sea Tow Foundation takes this a step further by recommending that children wear a life jacket at all times when they are aboard a boat or even on the dock. This will keep them safe in case they unexpectedly should slip into the water. Anyone of any age should wear a PFD when operating a personal watercraft.
- Let’s go shopping. While adults may wear the same life jacket for several years as long as it’s in good condition, children can outgrow their PFD (Personal Flotation Device) in the course of a single summer. Before boating season starts, take the kids to your local marine store and help them to pick out new life jackets. If you plan to let them take a friend along on your boat, it’s advisable to have an extra child’s life jacket or two onboard as well.
- Be size-wise. Don’t make the mistake of putting your child in an adult life jacket or inflatable belt-type PFD. Look for the models that are labeled Youth, Child or Infant, and be sure to select one that is designed for your child’s weight category. Infant PFDs are designed with a high collar to keep the baby face up and head supported; they also have a strap between the legs for added security.
- Heads Up. Life jackets are designated Type I, II, III or V, depending on the amount of buoyancy they provide andSea Tow Foundation_BoatingWithKids_Infograph_v2 5 the water conditions they are designed to perform in. Look for a child’s life jacket that suits your boating style and locations. Type I Offshore PFDs offer the most buoyancy, but they also can be bulky and restrict the wearer’s movements, prompting kids to want to take them off. Type II Near-Shore PFDs, Type III PFD Flotation Aids, and Type V Special Use Devices (designed for wakeboarding and other water sports) are often more comfortable, but don’t always provide as much buoyancy or stability in the water
- Snug as a bug. Be sure your child’s life jacket fits snugly. Too big, and it will ride up over his or her head in the water; too small, and it won’t provide enough buoyancy. To properly fit a child, put the life jacket on her or him and fasten it properly. Ask the child to raise his or her arms overhead, grasp the tops of the jacket’s arm openings and gently pull up. If you can pull the jacket up too high, creating excess space above the arms, or it rides up over the child’s chin or face, put it back on the rack and try the procedure again with a smaller size.
- Everybody into the pool. A good way to get your child used to the feel of wearing a life jacket is by letting them use it in the pool or shallow lake or river before going boating. Tell them its essential boater’s gear, just like a scuba diver’s BC vest or a fireman’s helmet.
Once your child has a properly fitting life jacket to wear whenever you go boating, Mom – and the whole family – can relax and enjoy the whole day out on the water!
About the Sea Tow Foundation
In 2007, Sea Tow Founder and CEO Capt. Joe Frohnhoefer created the Sea Tow Foundation – a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization – to promote safe boating practices. The Foundation’s goal is to reduce accidents, fatalities and property damage related to recreational boating. For more information, please visit boatingsafety.com.
About Sea Tow
Sea Tow Services International Inc. is the nation’s leading on-water assistance provider for boaters. Established in 1983 by Founder & CEO Capt. Joe Frohnhoefer, Sea Tow serves members inland to the coast throughout the United States, Europe, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. For a full list of membership benefits, how to become a Sea Tow member or to inquire about becoming a Sea Tow franchise owner, please visit seatow.com. Sea Tow also offers free boating safety information including the Sea Tow App for smartphones, Sea Tow’s Automated Radio Check Service, and the nonprofit Sea Tow Foundation’s Life Jacket Loaner Station program. For more information, visit seatow.com and boatingsafety.com.