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No matter where you sail in the world, it's important to understand the importance of bringing your safety equipment on board, such as life jackets and lifebuoys that are available to you.
Depending on the depth of the waters you navigate, having the correct life-saving accessories is crucial. Choosing the right type can make the difference between an easy and quick rescue or an uncomfortable waiting process while trying to stay afloat.
Types of life jackets
There are several common standards for life jackets used as onboard safety equipment worldwide. While there is more variety in standards, they all derive from the most important ones.
- 150 N Life Jackets: Ideal for open ocean, turbulent waters, or remote areas where rescue may take longer. Although certain foam components may be bulky, inflatables are not. These life jackets allow for extended floating time, have reflective tape, bright colors, and can turn unconscious individuals face-up in the water.
- 100 N Life Jackets: Perfect for waters near the shore where rescue is expected to arrive more quickly. They have the ability to turn users face-up, although not in all cases. This type of life jacket is designed to be comfortable during navigation and is quite popular with a high floatation capacity.
- 275 N Life Jackets: Designed for most sailors expecting a quick rescue, offering great freedom of movement and comfort for a conscious person in the water. This type of life jacket is designed to keep the user face-up, ensuring that the head stays above water.
- 50 N Life Jackets: Specialized life jackets serving specific purposes based on their design, such as for kayaking, windsurfing, water skiing, etc. They consist of inflatable life jackets with harnesses or head entry for rafting.
- Automatically Inflatable Life Jackets: This type of life jacket contains containers filled with carbon dioxide to be released when in contact with water, either manually through a pull cord or automatically. This inflates the life jacket within seconds to keep the person afloat. In case these inflation systems fail, they can be manually inflated through a blow nozzle.
Tips for proper use
It is essential to allocate safety equipment such as a life jacket for each crew member on every vessel, whether passenger or sailor, with the appropriate size. Before setting sail, it's crucial to teach how to wear and use it correctly.
Though not essential on larger vessels, it is advisable to wear life jackets for the entire journey, saving time and effort that can be used for other survival tasks. Always wear it over clothing, as wearing it under garments can make breathing and movement difficult.
It is recommended to equip the life jacket with survival aids such as a whistle, emergency light, or flare gun, as the wait for rescue may extend into the night, and being visible at sea is crucial.
In some cases, life jackets include a safety harness that can be attached to the vessel. This action can ensure that one does not fall into the ocean during a violent storm.
Legislation
Every type of vessel must have a quantity of life jackets equal to 110% of the people on board, i.e., 11 life jackets for every 10 people. Emergency spares should always be available.
In the case of children on board, it is legally required to have a life jacket of their size and weight.
Approved inflatable life jackets must be first inspected by authorized service stations to check their integrity and create a list of onboard safety equipment to be used.
Types of lifebuoys
Specifications for lifebuoys are standard in all types of onboard safety equipment, varying in installed features. There are lifebuoys with integrated lights to be visible at night, as well as lifebuoys with automatic smoke dispersion devices to facilitate location by the rescue team during daylight.
Tips for proper use
Lifebuoys are usually tied to the vessel, so using them preventively during a storm can establish a safety area, designating onboard safety equipment that can be used to stay close to the ship in case of falling into the sea.
If there is knowledge of elements that may be affected during navigation, it is important to identify these signals and proceed to find the nearest lifebuoy, ensuring that it is attached to the ship along with essential onboard safety equipment for survival.
Legislation
Lifebuoys should be placed on the sides of the vessel, covering the sides near the stern. They should also be tied in a way that is easy to release, eliminating the risk of jamming when trying to retrieve one.
Half of the assigned lifebuoys on the vessel should have automatic lights, serving as visual support for rescue teams. Additionally, two of the lifebuoys should have automatic smoke signal functions that activate upon entering the water.
Each lifebuoy installed on the vessel should be marked with the name of the boat in uppercase letters to facilitate identification and subsequent actions, as can be applied to the rest of the onboard safety equipment.
You can view our lifebuoys and life jackets by clicking on the links, as well as all the safety items you may need.