Being prepared for an unexpected or emergency situation is of the utmost importance, even when you are just hanging out on the lake. You know, despite what specific individuals may believe, not everyone who enjoys boating and know do you have to wear a life jacket on a kayak. Everyone who enjoys boating should wear a life jacket! Just like you should ensure your car is equipped with safety belts and airbags, every boat owner/operator should ensure their boat is prepared for an emergency.
And, additional safety just like safety belts and airbags, the cost of wearing a life jacket is truly nothing compared to the price you will pay if you do not have one. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve talked with people who were out on a boat without a life jacket. It’s not a pleasant thing to do. Therefore for the people asking, “do you have to wear a life jacket on a kayak?” the answer is definitely yes.
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Things to consider when buying a life jacket for kayaking
Price is only one factor
Don’t be a dummy and pay retail. Instead, go to a sporting goods store and ask for help. They’ll know what kind of boater you are and thus they’ll probably be able to suggest the correct type of jacket for your needs.
NOTE: Some fitting life jackets sold in retail outlets are not suitable for paddling. Make sure the one you purchase has enough “give” in the material so that it will not dig into your flesh if you get tangled up in some underwater obstacles or a few other water bodies.
NOTE: I strongly suggest you get a jacket made for adults, not kids. Children’s size jackets are too tight and confining. It would help if you had something which would “give” you a little room to grow.
The life jacket requirement for Different types of kayaks such as:-
Recreational kayaks
sit-in kayak
Adult sizes Kayak
single kayaks
double kayaks
Consider the size of the life jacket before buying
If you are over six feet tall, you will need a more oversized life jacket than someone only five feet tall. Again, this is another case of paying retail rather than going the extra mile to find what you need because you know what they say. “You get what you pay for!”. Look at the life jacket and make sure it has a cord attached to the front of it. This cord will allow you to attach the life jacket to whatever belt you are wearing. It should be an easy-to-find “snap” or “quick-release” type clip.
Do not ignore the quality of the life jacket
It should have an inner liner made out of neoprene (the same stuff scuba divers use). The more expensive the life jacket, the more likely it will have this feature. If it doesn’t, I’d suggest you pass on that particular brand and look around until you find one that does.
If you decide to wear a flotation belt as I do, you should make sure it fits comfortably and has enough “give” so it will not dig into your flesh. Do NOT wear anything which restricts your movement. A jacket with elbow patches is a bad idea. Another bad idea is a jacket with too many buttons.
As I have noted before, the less restriction you have in your movements, the better chance you have of getting out of trouble when you are in different water conditions. What else should you consider when buying a life jacket?
Check the ease of use
Check to see if the life jacket has an “emergency release” feature. If it does, you can remove the cord from the front of the life jacket in an emergency. That will allow you to remove the life jacket if you become entangled in something which prevents you from getting back to shore. NOTE: All good quality life jackets will have this feature.
Check the reviews of the life jacket
Search for “Amazon.com review this product.” You will find several independent reviews posted by people who have purchased this same product. Take a look at these reviews and see how many “stars” (out of a possible five) the reviewers give the product. The more stars, the better the review. Reviews with four or more stars are excellent. Anything less than four stars should be avoided at all costs. It is worth noting here that manufacturers will often pay people to write glowing reviews about their products. That is why you should always check the reviews before you buy.
Consider the reputation of the seller
Look for sellers with an “A” rating. These are the ones you can trust. If they have a “B” rating, then proceed with caution. A “C” rating means you might want to do business with them, but you should check them out first to be sure. An “F” rating is not a good thing. That indicates they sell not quality something, and they are not even trying to hide it. Buying a life jacket is not as easy as it sounds. There are so many options and features to consider that it can become quite a daunting task. However, by doing some research and using the tips mentioned above, you should have no problems at all. Now let’s talk about what you should look for in a “survival knife.” First and foremost, you want a good, sharp survival knife.
Next, you want one that has a comfortable, smooth handle. You want one that is lightweight and easy to control. Thirdly, you want one with an excellent cutting edge. You want one that is razor-sharp when you first get it and will stay that way for a highly long time. Fourthly, you want a durable, high-quality sheath to go with the knife. The last three items I have just listed are the primary considerations you should make when purchasing a survival knife. You should consider other items, but those are the four main things I would suggest you pay close attention to. So now that we have covered the “big four” items, you should look for when purchasing a survival tool. It is time to talk about what you should pay attention to when shopping for a survival tool.
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The customer support offered by the seller
You want a seller who stands behind their product 100%. If anything goes wrong with your purchase, you want the seller to immediately send you a replacement or give you a full refund. You never know; something may happen to your package while in transit, and your knife may not get delivered at all. If that happens, you want the seller to send you a new one free of charge. You also want the seller to be honest and straightforward with you if there is any problem whatsoever with your purchase. Look for a seller who will go the extra mile to ensure you are delighted with your purchase. The seller’s return policy looks for a seller who will allow you to return any item within 30 days of receiving it, and the seller will cover the cost of shipping the item back to them and much more.
Accessories of the life jackets
Look for a seller who includes a money-back guarantee and includes “free upgrades” as a bonus. If you need additional items such as a small flashlight, a compass, a map of the area, a first aid kit, etc., look for a seller who includes those items free of charge with your life jacket. That is an excellent way to get an additional “safety net” of valuable tools without having to pay extra. The more tools you have when you go into the water, the better chance you will have of surviving a dangerous situation. The final point I want to make in this section is this: Look for a knife with all these features and more because you can usually get a “bundle deal” when you buy multiple survival tools from the same seller.
Benefits of wearing a life jacket
I haven’t discussed yet why you should wear a life jacket when you go into the water. I’m going to discuss that now. First, let’s talk about how wearing a life jacket can save your life. A study done by the U.S. Coast Guard shows that when a person is properly dressed in warm clothing, a life jacket plus other safety tips can reduce the chances of drowning by 85%! That means that every time a person removes one or more of the “safety nets” (warm clothing, a life jacket, wearing a proper swim mask), the chances of drowning increase by 15%. If you are not adequately clothed for the weather conditions, even if you wear a life jacket. The chances of drowning can still be high. The truth is that none of us are truly prepared for any emergency.
Life jackets protect you from harsh weather conditions
Life jackets also provide other benefits. Let’s say you and your family are on a boat trip, and you decide to go swimming with some good swimming skill level in an area with a strong current. You don’t have a life jacket requirement, and you start to get pulled out into the middle of the river. Wearing a life jacket will give you added: “lift.” That is very important if you are a big guy or a woman and you happen to be wearing a T-shirt and underwear instead of long pants and a dry pair of socks. Also, if you are wearing a wet life jacket, the extra lift provided by the life jacket will keep you afloat longer before you become exhausted and begin to sink. If you are ever in this situation, don’t fight the current. Let the water do the work for you. Just float with the current and wait for help.
Life jackets keep you warm
Wearing a life jacket also keeps you warm. It works in two ways: First, the life jacket itself keeps you warm because it is a tightly woven material that blocks wind and water. Also, many life vests now have an “extra” inner lining made out of synthetic fleece material. This fleece material tends to trap body heat and keeps you warmer than simply wearing a T-shirt and underwear. Finally, wearing a life jacket makes you more conscious of the cold because you have to compensate by wearing more clothing. That leads to wrapping yourself up even more in layers of thick clothing which produces its type of “cold trauma.” life jackets keep you visible One last point I need to make about life jackets is they tend to keep you very visible.
Life jackets are very comfortable
You may find it hard to believe, but floating on your back with a wet life jacket prevents you from getting a good night’s sleep when you are in the water. The truth is, you become so used to having the life jacket on that you start to depend on it for your warmth and comfort. If you wear a wet life jacket for an extended period (even just a few hours), you will get “wet suit syndrome.” That is when your body starts to accept the wetness of the life jacket as its natural environment, and you begin to feel “clammy” and uncomfortable. Also, if you ever do end up in this situation (sometime during the night), try not to struggle or remove your life jacket. Allow the current to take the life jacket off for you.
Conclusion
Wearing a life jacket is excellent since drowning is often the least likely cause of death in a boating accident. However, it doesn’t always save your life, so don’t be afraid to wear a life jacket and learn do you have to wear a life jacket on a kayak even if you are comfortable without it. Just like any other safety gear, wearing a life jacket should be a matter of “use it or lose it.” the next few paragraphs contain graphic descriptions of what happens when you don’t wear a life jacket and why you must learn how to swim… NOW! 1. As I said earlier, your first concern should be to get above the surface and onto dry land. Once you are there if you can’t walk or crawl away from the boat, at least lie-down and get out of the wind, stay there until you are sure the danger is past.