What You Need to Know about Life Vests For Children 

What Is a Life Vest?

A life vest or a life jacket is a Coast Guard approved personal flotation device (PFD) that helps you and your child float in the water.

Why Should Your Child Wear a Life Vest?

Drowning is often silent, takes as little as five minutes and usually happens when an adult is nearby. A child should wear a life jacket anytime they are near water such as in a boat or innertube as well as on docks and river banks.

Buying a Life Vest:

If you own a boat or plan on renting a boat or boating with a friend, you should buy your child a PFD. PFD's come in various types and sizes and there may not be a PFD of the proper size and type to rent or borrow. In addition, some types of PFDs will keep you from sinking, but not necessarily from drowning. Click here for more information on types of PFDs.

When buying a life vest, check for:

• Coast Guard approved label.
• A snug fit. Check weight and size on the label and try the PFD on your child. Pick up your child by the shoulders of the PFD; the child's chin and ears won't slip through a proper fit.
• Head support for younger children. A well designed PFD will support the child's head when the child is in the water.
• A strap between the legs for younger children. This is a good feature because it helps prevent the vest from coming off.
• Comfort and appearance. This is especially important for teens, who are less likely to wear a PFD.

How Do You Use a Life Vest?

• Every spring, check the life vest for fit as well as wear and tear. Throw it away if you find air leakage, mildew, rot or rust.
• If a child panics in the water and thrashes about, he may turn onto his face, even though a PFD with a collar is designed to keep him on his back with face out of the water. Have your child practice wearing a life vest in the water - this will help prevent panic and rolling over.
• Never alter a PFD. It could lose its effectiveness.
• Wear your own life vest to set an example, and to help your child if an emergency occurs.
• Never use toys like plastics rings or water wings in place of a PFD.

Remember: PFDs only work when they are worn, and they do not take the place of supervision!