Life jacket as a lifesaver
Having enough life jackets on board is an unspoken rule at sea. In an emergency, the life jacket not only keeps the person who has gone overboard afloat, but also helps them reduce their energy expenditure as well as cold loss. This can create valuable time that allows for a successful rescue.
Life jacket with automatic release
An automatic life jacket contains a gas cartridge that, when released, allows its gas to escape into the life jacket's buoyancy chamber, inflating it. After deployment, a replacement cartridge must be inserted. An original cartridge should always be used, since small deviations can have a large influence on the functionality. In addition, it is advisable to always have spare cartridges on board.
After the gas has escaped into the floats, the buoyancy turns the wearer on his back, making this life jacket faint-proof, keeps the airways clear and stabilizes the head.
Buy life jacket accessories
As a rule, automatic life jackets are equipped with an additional mouth valve, which ensures the addition and release of air, a signal flute and several reflectors. A life jacket light, which activates automatically on contact with water, is still an additional way to attract attention in the event of a rescue.
In addition, a lifeline for picking is still recommended, which protects against going overboard in itself.
Life jacket buoyancy
The choice of buoyancy is very important when buying a life jacket. If the wrong choice is made, the turning performance of the vest may be affected. Life jacket buoyancy is measured in Newtons (N) and the higher the number, the greater the buoyancy.
When choosing the right buoyancy class, various factors such as body weight and type of clothing play a significant role.