June 26, 2022
A Life Jacket Can Save Your Life!
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Everyone who’s on a boat should wear a life jacket. In case the vessel capsizes or a person falls overboard, this personal flotation device (PFD) could mean the difference between drowning and keeping someone afloat in the water. If you own a yacht, you should choose the right life jackets for yourself and your passengers.
Tips for Picking the Best Yacht Life Jackets
Although the goal of getting the best yacht life jackets might be straightforward, you should consider several factors that can affect the life jacket’s ability to do the job that it’s intended for. For this reason, Veteran Car Donations has put together a few tips to help you pick the PFDs that can provide you with the right level of safety.
- Choose the proper life jacket type based on your boating conditions.
Not all life jackets are created equal. Like most safety gear, they come in different types and are made from different materials that provide different levels of buoyancy based on various scenarios.
- TYPE I: These PFDs offer over 20 pounds (lbs) of buoyancy and are specifically designed for offshore use. Although they’re bulkier than other life jacket types, they can turn unconscious individuals face up in the water.
- TYPE II: Type II life jackets are ideal for nearshore boating excursions. While they only offer a minimum of 15.5 lbs of buoyancy, they can still turn a drowning person face up in the water. Since these PFDs feature a more basic design, they aren’t as fashionable as the other options. However, they’re a longstanding favorite because of their affordable price and their qualifications that satisfy U.S. Coast Guard safety requirements.
- TYPE III: Offering 15.5 lbs of buoyancy, type III PFDs are known for their form-fitting and comfortable style, which makes them the perfect choice for general passenger use and watersports. In most cases, these life jackets feature a buckle-and-zipper closure or a front entry and buckle. However, unlike the type I and type II PFDs, the type III ones aren’t guaranteed to turn a drowning person face up in the water.
- TYPE IV: Primarily designated as a “throwable,” a type IV PFD offers a minimum of 16.5 lbs of buoyancy. It is typically thrown at a conscious person who lands in the water unexpectedly. Instead of wearing it, the user with an imminent chance of rescue holds onto this PFD. In most cases, type IV PFDs take the shape of a flat cushion or a ring.
- TYPE V: These special-use PFDs are usually combined into whitewater rafting vests, flotation coats, and sailboard harnesses. These life jackets shouldn’t be used for other purposes.
- Review your options.
Use online resources to see the range that best suits your upcoming water activities. You’ll also want to review the color choices you made for your life jackets to ensure high visibility in the water. Before going into a shop, make a list of your choices so that you’ll know what to ask for.
- Try them on.
After choosing the right type of life jacket based on your boating conditions and activities, be sure to check for holes, tears, and other signs of damage. More importantly, check if the jackets fit you and your passengers properly. While life jackets that are too large often slip off the wearers, those that are too small won’t provide enough buoyancy to keep the wearers afloat.
To ensure the best fit, refer to the manufacturer’s labeling which outlines the size and weight of the right wearer for the PFD. Once the wearer puts on the jacket and fastens its zippers, buckles, and other closures, instruct them to lift their arms straight over their heads. Next, ask someone to grab the jacket above the arm openings before pulling it upward.
If the jacket rises any higher than the wearer’s chin or rides up as high as their ears, it will slip off in the water. In such cases, you should size down to get the right fit. Moreover, life jackets for children usually have a crotch strap that runs between the legs from the jacket’s back to the front. This additional strap ensures that the jacket won’t slip over the child’s head.
Donate a Vehicle to Uplift the Lives of Suffering Veterans
While life jackets can save lives, unwanted vehicles can help transform lives, specifically the lives of our nation’s struggling veterans, when donated to us at Veteran Car Donations.
If you have one such vehicle that you want to use to serve a worthy cause, turn it over to us. We’ll sell it through an auction, with the proceeds handed over to our IRS-approved 501(c)(3) charity partners. These reputable veteran nonprofits are dedicated to helping veterans who are suffering from homelessness, chronic unemployment, disabilities, and illnesses, including mental health conditions.
They use the funding we give them to provide their beneficiaries with free quality health care and medical treatments, psychotherapy services, financial aid, family support, housing assistance, educational scholarships, employment opportunities, and many other benefits.
As a donor, you’ll have the privilege of enjoying a fast and free towing service anywhere in the United States. Plus, your gift will qualify you to claim the highest possible tax deduction in the next tax season.
Best of all, you’ll have the most satisfying donating experience, knowing that you’re giving back to the brave men and women who risked their lives to protect ours and ensure our nation’s security.
Since we accept nearly all types of vehicle donations, we’ll gladly take your car, truck, van, RV, or boat regardless of its age or condition.
To learn more about our vehicle donation program, including our quick and easy donation process, feel free to visit our FAQs page. For inquiries or concerns, reach out to us anytime through our toll-free hotline at 877-594-5822 or write to us here.
Now’s Your Turn to Become a Hero to Our Heroes
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Your vehicle donation will allow you to become a hero to our nation’s unsung heroes. You will make a difference in their lives. Call Veteran Car Donations at 877-594-5822 or fill out our secure online donation form now!
Last Updated: August 24th, 2023