Safe at Sea: Life jackets for children
Choosing the optimal life jacket for a child is critically important. Just as important as selecting that jacket is testing it to assure its effectiveness. Then teaching a child how to properly use a life jacket becomes as important as choosing the best life jacket.
Rule No. 1: Life jackets for small children must have a crotch strap plus a head cushion and strap. Parents also need to know that there are special dangers for infants. In fact, the general recommendation is not to boat recreationally with infants.
What problems should parents avoid when selecting a PFD for their children?
First, know the state laws. In Florida, the U.S. Coast Guard requires that when a vessel is underway, children under 13 years of age must wear their life jacket. Exceptions are for when children are below deck or within an enclosed cabin.
Children grow quickly, though. So, a life jacket that fit a child well last season, may not fit well when it is time to go boating again months later. It is always important to check that the life jacket is the correct size for your children.
– Remember: A child’s life jacket is based on body weight, so always double-check the user weight on the inside neckline label.
– Check the child’s life jacket immediately after purchase. For example, after teaching the child how to correctly wear the jacket, have them use it — with your direct supervision — in a swimming pool. This will help children understand the purpose of “having to wear this thing.”
HOW TO SELECT THE RIGHT JACKET?
First, the life jacket must fit snugly. Check for a good fit by picking the child up by the shoulders of the jacket to ensure that his/her chin and ears cannot slip through. If the jacket does not meet this criteria, try another style.
Teach your children how to put on their own life jacket and then be sure to get them accustomed to wearing it in the water. You will want to make sure that the life jacket you have selected keeps your child’s face upright in the water, especially since we know that when children (and adults) panic, they will flail about. The child’s snug fit in the life jacket will help assure their body weight does not re-distribute itself.
Just because a PFD may keep a child afloat, that same life jacket may not keep the child face up.
Of course, no child — REPEAT: no child — should be left unattended near the water (on the dock, close to the shore, et cetera), much less in the water … even if he/she has a life jacket on.
Likewise, inflatable toys or floats should never be used in place of life jackets.
One final message: A child should never be taken on board in a car seat. Car seats do not float and many sink rapidly. Therefore, car seats should never be used on boats.
Pat Schmidt is a member of America’s Boating Club of Sanibel-Captiva. For more about the chapter and its courses, visit www.sancapboating.club or contact Commander@SanibelCaptivaSPS.org or 239-985-9472.