The times of uncomfortable, bulky life jackets are long gone. The most popular PFD for keelboat sailing is the inflatable type. These life jackets are available with manual inflation or manual plus automatic inflation. We advise buying the best life jacket you can afford, as one day, your life might depend on it. Always make sure you wear your PFD outside all clothing, that it’s the right size and that you do it up properly.
Every yacht should carry enough PFD’s for all crew members. Many sailors will only don a life jacket in rough conditions or when they’re sailing at night. We encourage people to wear a life jacket when they’re rowing out in their dinghy, going offshore, in rough conditions, at night and if they are unable to swim or are poor swimmers. Children and animals should wear one as soon as they are anywhere near a wharf, dock or jetty.
