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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 pools, rivers, lakes, and oceans. 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. Image File history File links Mergefrom. ...
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For other uses, see River (disambiguation). ...
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Animated map exhibiting the worlds oceanic waters. ...
 A man wearing a life jacket, with another life jacket hanging at the lower left. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 263 KB) Description: A man wearing a life jacket, with other life jackets in the background Source: http://www. ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 263 KB) Description: A man wearing a life jacket, with other life jackets in the background Source: http://www. ...
Lifejacket/Life vest
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. VEST (Very Efficient Substitution Transposition) ciphers are a set of families of general-purpose hardware-dedicated ciphers that support single pass authenticated encryption and can operate as collision-resistant hash functions. ...
A jacket is a lightweight, sleeved thigh- or waist-length coat that may be worn by anyone, as jackets are now made for children, adults, the elderly, and even infants. ...
Synthetic fibres are the result of extensive research by scientists to increase and improve upon the supply of naturally occurring animal and plant fibres that have been used in making cloth and rope. ...
Sea foam on the beach Foam on a cappuccino Fire-retardant, foamed plastic being used as a temporary dam for firestop mortar in a cable penetration in a pulp and paper mill on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. ...
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. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
For other uses of this word, see nylon (disambiguation). ...
Sea foam on the beach Foam on a cappuccino Fire-retardant, foamed plastic being used as a temporary dam for firestop mortar in a cable penetration in a pulp and paper mill on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. ...
Swimmer redirects here. ...
Sea foam on the beach Foam on a cappuccino Fire-retardant, foamed plastic being used as a temporary dam for firestop mortar in a cable penetration in a pulp and paper mill on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. ...
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. Chemical structure of the vinyl functional group. ...
Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom. ...
A check valve is a mechanical device, a valve, that normally only allows fluid to flow through it in one direction. ...
Exhalation (or expiration) is the movement of air out of the bronchial tubes, through the airways, to the external environment during breathing. ...
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 kits, usually containing signalling devices, first-aid kits, food, water, and shark repellent. Survival kit is a package of basic tools and supplies prepared in advance as an aid to survival in an emergency. ...
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. A surfer in a wetsuit. ...
drysuits are used in a number of sports to provide a barrier between the occupant and cold water. ...
A Steinke hood, named for its inventor, is a device designed to aid escape from a sunken submarine, essentially an inflatable life jacket with a hood that completely encloses the wearers head, trapping a bubble of breathing air. ...
For other uses, see Submarine (disambiguation). ...
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. The Submarine Escape Immersion Equipment suit The SEIE MK-10 on the surface after escape. ...
USN redirects here. ...
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) This article is about the navy of the United Kingdom. ...
There are two major types of submarines in the United States Navy: ballistic missile submarines and attack submarines. ...
A Steinke hood, named for its inventor, is a device designed to aid escape from a sunken submarine, essentially an inflatable life jacket with a hood that completely encloses the wearers head, trapping a bubble of breathing air. ...
Underwater -
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. A buoyancy compensator (or buoyancy control device, BC or BCD) is a piece of diving equipment worn by divers to provide: life saving emergency buoyancy both underwater and on 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. Sea Kayaking at Wilsons Promontory in Victoria, Australia Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. ...
Playboat Playboating is a discipline of kayaking or canoeing where the paddler performs various technical moves in one place (a playspot), as opposed to whitewater canoeing or kayaking where the objective is to travel the length of a section of river (although whitewater canoeists will often stop and play en...
Rafting is a recreational activity utilizing a raft to navigate a river or other body of water. ...
Swiftwater Rescue is a subset of technical rescue that involves the use of specially trained personnel, ropes, and mechanical advantage systems often much more robust than those used in rope rescue because of the added pressure of moving water. ...
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. A cork stopper for a wine bottle Champagne corks Varnished cork tiles can be used for flooring, as a substitute for linoleum or tiles. ...
Swanage lifeboat being winched up its slipway The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a charity based in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland dedicated to saving lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland. ...
1854 (MDCCCLIV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...
For the 1944 movie, see Lifeboat (film). ...
In physics, buoyancy is the upward force on an object produced by the surrounding fluid (i. ...
"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. A life preserver is a personal flotation device that can be deployed from a vessel or from land to provide an individual with a means of maintaining boyancy in water, thereby preventing drowning. ...
A lifejacket is an article of protective clothing that is designed to keep the wearer floating above the surface of the water. ...
Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...
Look up ally in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
Khaki is a common material in military uniforms Khaki is a type of fabric or the colour of such fabric. ...
For other uses, see Cotton (disambiguation). ...
This does not cite any references or sources. ...
MAE-West is a major Internet peering point located in San Jose, California. ...
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. For other uses, see Boat (disambiguation). ...
Swimmer redirects here. ...
Line drawing of the Department of Wars seal. ...
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). Image File history File links Lifebelt on the Northern Merchant File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Image File history File links Lifebelt on the Northern Merchant File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
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. In geometry, a torus (pl. ...
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. Swiftwater Rescue is a subset of technical rescue that involves the use of specially trained personnel, ropes, and mechanical advantage systems often much more robust than those used in rope rescue because of the added pressure of moving water. ...
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 | | This article or section deals primarily with the United States and Canada and does not represent a worldwide view of the subject.
Please improve this article or discuss the issue on the talk page. | Image File history File links Gnome-globe. ...
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. USCG HH-65 Dolphin USCG HH-60J JayHawk The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is at all times a branch of the United States armed forces a maritime law enforcement agency, and a federal regulatory body. ...
- Type I - offshore life jacket
- The model best-suited to open and rough waters, a type I PFD provides more buoyancy than any other type. The design of a type I PFD allows it to turn most unconscious wearers into a face-up position with their head out of the water. This type requires a minimum adult buoyancy of 22 pounds, and because of its bulk it is generally not comfortable to wear when not on the water. These PFDs are only used in an emergency. They are typically jacket-shaped but sleeveless, and usually have multiple ties and belts for closure.
- Type II - near shore buoyancy vest
- Familiar to anyone who has rented a canoe or other pleasure craft, these are the bright orange vests also seen on water taxis and the like. They are a reduced version of the type I PFD, and provide a minimum 15.5 pound buoyancy. They will usually turn the face of an unconscious person out of the water, but are not as dependable as type I PFDs for this task. Type II PFDs are used near shore where a quick rescue is likely. They usually have one belt and one tie.
- Type III - flotation aid
- Most popular with canoeists, small-boat sailboat racers and kayakers, a type III PFD is best for conscious wearers who can keep their own faces out of the water. The minimum buoyancy is 15.5 pounds, but some designs have higher buoyancy (frequently 17 pounds). Type III PFDs are usually jacket-style and may have pockets, lashing hooks, tow belts, and other functions that enhance their application. They typically fit the wearer closely, and many zip or have buckles to close.
- Type IV - throwable devices
- Throwable PFDs are designed for areas where there is constant boat traffic and rescue is immediate. They are commonly ring-shaped, but horseshoe and cushion type IV PFDs are also made. These are only a backup measure and should generally be thrown by someone with experience, as it is difficult to aim well, especially in rougher water. A cushion-style PFD has a buoyancy of 18 pounds, while a ring-style has a buoyancy of 16.5 pounds.
- Type V - special purpose
- These PFDs are intended for specific uses, such as whitewater activities or boardsailing. Their turning performance (keeping an unconscious person face-up) is rated according to PFD types I, II, and III; some may also require that they are worn in order to be effective. Type V PFDs come in a variety of styles, from full-body suits to work vests. Some have a safety harness and some provide protection against hypothermia (survival suits).
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. In physics, buoyancy is the upward force on an object produced by the surrounding fluid (i. ...
// A survival suit, or more specifically an immersion survival suit, is a special type of waterproof dry suit that protects the wearer from hypothermia from immersion in cold water, after abandoning a sinking or capsized vessel, especially in the open ocean. ...
A throwbag is a rescue device with a length of rope stuffed loosely into a bag so it can pay out through the top when the bag is thrown to a swimmer. ...
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 sculls, 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). // Water skiing began in 1922 when Ralph Samuelson strapped two boards to his feet and rigged a clothesline up to his boat on Lake Pepin in Lake City, Minnesota. ...
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. The UL Mark Underwriters Laboratories Inc. ...
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). In physics, buoyancy is the upward force on an object produced by the surrounding fluid (i. ...
Rafting in Brazil. ...
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.
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