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A personal flotation device (also named ''PFD'', ''lifejacket'', ''life preserver'', ''Mae West'', ''life vest'', ''life saver'', ''cork jacket'', ''life belt'') is a device designed to keep a wearer afloat and their head above water, often in Swimming Pool s, River s, Lake s, and Ocean s. The term includes all types of such devices from life preservers to lifejackets to survival suits. They are available in different sizes and different designs purposed for various levels of protection. LIFEJACKET/LIFE VEST Inventor: Maurice O'link ''Lifejackets'' or ''life vests'' are the most multiform of personal flotation devices. They are mandatory on airplanes travelling over water and are also found on sea-faring vessels, accessible to all crew and passengers and to be donned in an emergency. Floatation devices are also found in near water-edges and at swimming pools. They may appear in the form of a simple Vest , a Jacket , a full-body suit, or their variations suited for particular purposes. They are often made of tough Synthetic Fiber material encapsulating a source of buoyancy, such as Foam or a chamber of air, and are often brightly colored as yellow or orange to maximize visibility for rescues. Types Foam core The simplest and least buoyant of the class come in the form of Nylon -lined Foam vests, often used in training for Swimming , or as light safety precautions in relatively safe environments, such as lake cruises and amusement parks. With no need for a leakproofing quality check because of their inherently buoyant Foam cores, they can be mass-produced inexpensively and widely used, making it the most commonly seen form of lifejackets. Air chamber Life jackets for large commercial transport in potentially dangerous waters, such as coastal cruises and airlines, are often a sealed suit of heavy Vinyl with an inflatable air chamber, and usually provides more buoyancy than its foam counterpart. The air chambers, usually located over the breast and back regions of the body, may be inflated by either self-contained Carbon Dioxide cartridges activated by the pulling of a cord, or blow tubes with a One-way Valve for inflation by Exhalation . Some of the inflatable life jackets also react with the salt/fresh water, inflating them. Drifting in open seas and international waters, as encountered by long sea voyages and Military forces, require prolonged survival in water. The life jackets suited for this purpose are often also equipped with Survival Kit s, usually containing signalling devices, first-aid kits, food, water, and shark repellent. Deep water PFDs (life jackets) including 'wet' or 'dry'-suits are made that are intended for long term immersion in cold water. A flotation device known as the Steinke Hood is used as an escape device to ascend from a stranded Submarine . The Mark 10 Submarine Escape Immersion Equipment (SEIE) suit is intended to allow submariners to escape from much deeper depths than currently possible with the Steinke Hood. Some United States Navy submarines already have the system, with an ambitious installation and training schedule in place for the remainder of the fleet. Because it is a full body suit, the Mark 10 provides thermal protection once the wearer reaches the surface, and the British Royal Navy has successfully tested it at six hundred foot depths. (see Submarines In The United States Navy#Pressure And Escape Training and Steinke Hood ) Underwater See Also: Buoyancy compensator Divers use buoyancy compensators to adjust their buoyancy while underwater and to provide positive buoyancy in an emergency to bring them to the surface or keep them at the surface. Specialized Specialized lifejackets can also be seen used in a myriad of environments. Shorter-profile vests are commonly used for Kayaking (especially Playboating ), and high-buoyant types for River Outfitters and other whitewater professionals. PFDs which include harnesses for tethered rescue work ('live-bait rescue') and pockets or daisy-chains for the attachment of rescue gear are made for Swiftwater Rescue Technicians . History Origins Ancient instances of the lifejacket can be traced back to simple blocks of wood or Cork used by Norwegian seamen. The modern lifejacket is generally credited to one Captain Ward, a Royal National Lifeboat Institution inspector in the United Kingdom , who, in 1854 , created a cork vest to be worn by Lifeboat crews for both weather protection and Buoyancy . Reference: Lifejackets . "Mae West" The Mae West was a common nickname of a Type B-4 Life Preserver (inflatable Lifejacket ), used during World War II by the Allies . The B-4 was invented by James F. Boyle. The preserver was Khaki color, made of Cotton with inflatable Rubber bladders, with dimensions of 27.5" H x 12.75" W x 1.25" D. The nickname was based on the famously buxom figure of Mae West , one of the most popular actresses of that period. Andrew Toti related that his mother was the inspiration for the invention of the Mae West life vest. He had bought a Boat , and his mother was worried because he couldn't Swim . He designed a personal life preserver filled with duck feathers. However, that was too bulky and heavy, so he used air. Toti sold the rights of the Mae West life vest to the US War Department in 1936 for US$1,600. THROWABLE PFDS Throwable PFDs are often called "life savers", "life preservers" or "lifebelts" (although the terms "life savers" and "life preservers" can also refer to lifejackets/vests). Throwable PFDs are deployed from a vessel or land into nearby water, to give the recipient buoyancy. They are often provided on ships, docks and other water-edges in case a person falls in the water. Throwable PFDs are usually ring-shaped ( Toroidal ). Such a shape is easy to throw to a distressed person, can be grasped by a hand or hooked arm even in turbulent conditions, and is much easier to put on in the water than a lifevest. A new form of throwable PFD, known as a "guidable life preserver," or "hydrofoil-powered life preserver", is starting to gain widespread acceptance and use, particularly in the field of Swiftwater Rescue . Guidable life preservers serve the same function as a normal throwable life preserver, with the distinction of being "guidable" or steerable through a simple system of hydrofoils and ropes. This allows water rescue workers to steer or "guide" the life preserver out to a person in distress, rather than simply throwing it. Guidable life preservers are typically capable of greater distances and accuracy than traditional throwable life preservers, and in some cases can also be used to transport rescue workers across the water. One example of this new form of life preserver is the following shore-based swiftwater rescue system . PFD CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS U.S. Coast Guard Please see the official website: http://www.uscgboating.org/safety/fedreqs/equ_pfd.htm The United States Coast Guard rates PFDs in five types.
According to the Coast Guard, all recreational boats must carry one wearable PFD (Type I, II, III or V) per person on board. Boats over sixteen feet in length are also required to carry a throwable (Type IV) PFD, but canoes and kayaks are exempt from this rule. Under some circumstances, a Throwbag -- a throwable bag containing floating rope, used to extend a line to a nearby swimmer or boat -- can substitute for a throwable PFD. PFDs must be approved by the Coast Guard (all PFDs will carry a label indicating they are USCG-approved; this label should never be removed) and they must also be in good condition, as well as being an appropriate size for the wearer. (Child-size PFDs have different buoyancy requirements than adult PFDs.) It is extremely important that wearable PFDs, if not actually on their designated person, be at least readily accessible. If an emergency arises, they must be situated in such a way that they can be easily put on. Inflatable PFDs are sometimes considered more comfortable to wear, but they require proper care. They must have a full cylinder and indicators must read green. There are no Type IV inflatable PFDs, and they are sized only for adults. Type I and II inflatables have a buoyancy of 34 pounds, and type IIIs have a buoyancy of 22.5 pounds. There are also type V inflatable models, but their buoyancy ranges from 22.5 to 34 pounds. Laws about PFD use vary from state to state. The only federal laws related to PFD use indicate that they are not required on racing kayaks, racing canoes, Rowing Scull s, or racing shells. Many states do require PFDs for towed activities such as Water Skiing , as well as when operating personal watercraft, during whitewater activities, and when sailboarding (even though sailboards are not technically "boats" according to federal law). Canada Lifejackets must be stamped or labeled that they have been approved by the Canadian Coast Guard or Transport Canada in accordance with the '' Small Vessel Regulations ''. If a standard lifejacket does not fall under the standards described in the ''Life Saving Equipment Regulations'', it must meet the applicable standards of the Canadian General Standards Board, the Underwriters Laboratories of Canada, the Canadian Standards Association, or the Society of Automotive Engineers. However, a non-resident of Canada may bring aboard a PFD conforming to the applicable laws of his home country. PFDs intended for children are specifically required to meet the standards established in the ''Personal Flotation Devices for Children'' standard from the CGSB. Standards for ring-type lifebuoys are established in the SVR, Schedule III, sections 4 through 14. Pleasure craft no longer than six meters must carry an appropriately-sized PFD for each person on board, and a "buoyant heaving line" (throwbag) of at least 15 meters. If every person on board is wearing an appropriately-sized PFD, then additional devices are not required on personal watercraft or paddleboats. In addition to lifejackets or PFDs for each person on board, pleasure craft between six and eight meters must carry a 15-meter buoyant line attached to a throwbag or ring-type lifebuoy; those up to 12 meters must carry both a throwbag and lifebuoy. On boats up to 20 meters, the lifebuoy must be equipped with a light and buoyant line; boats over 20 meters require an additional lifebuoy. The Small Vessel Regulations require inherently Buoyant lifejackets be worn by sailboarders, in personal watercraft, for Whitewater Paddling , and by individuals under the age of 16 or smaller than 36.3 kg (80 lb). Inflatable PFDs are permitted to be worn on open boats and when the individual is on the deck of a boat that is not open. Sailboarders may not use automatically inflatable PFDs. Exceptions to the lifejacket requirements state that infants under 9 kg (20 lb) and persons with a chest size greater than 140 cm (55 in) are not required to have lifejackets carried on board pleasure craft. Exceptions are also made for rowing shells, racing canoes, and racing kayaks while they are in formal training or official competition, but only if an accompanying safety craft carries a PFD for each member of the crew. Sailboarders need not wear PFDs if they are involved in an official competition that includes a safety boat carrying PFDs for emergency use. EXTERNAL LINKS
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