How to Choose a Life Jacket

 

Almost 80 percent of all boating-related deaths occur by drowning. Wearing a life jacket - also called a personal flotation device, or PFD - when out on the water could keep you from becoming a statistic.

Instructions

1. • Purchase the bulky off-shore life jacket for greatest buoyancy - at the expense of some comfort.
   • Choose the near-shore buoyancy vest if you will be on calmer, inland waters.
   • Consider buying a flotation aid if you will be on protected waters where a quicker rescue is assured. They allow some movement and are somewhat more comfortable than the other jackets.
   • Opt for one of several types of floatable life jackets, which are easy to wear and inflatable. Also called special-use devices, each is designed for a specific water activity, such as sailboarding, and is worn at all times.
   • Purchase a throwable device as an extra safety measure. They are literally thrown to and held onto by someone who has fallen overboard until he or she is rescued.

http://www.ehow.com/how_3317_choose-life-jacket.html