Boating safety starts with your PFD

I originally intended to write about a couple of different topics in this column, but a phone call earlier today changed that. Last week was National Boating Safety Week. A good friend of mine was shopping for a personal flotation device for use while involved in search and rescue operations on both lakes and rivers. Vikki owns and handles a search and rescue canine and is often called out when the dog’s and her combined skills are needed in an emergency.

Vikki knew I have taught recreational boating safety classes using the Alaska Office of Boating Safety program. She was staring at an immense and varied selection of PFD’s in a store when she called me.

“Howard, I need to buy a PFD but I have no idea which one of all these different models would work best for me. Can you help?”

Here’s basically what I told her.

First, you need to know that there are several different types of PFD’s for different uses. Type I models are designed for off-shore rough, remote or open water situations where the PFD will turn an unconscious person face up. Type II PFD’s are designed for near-shore, calm, inland waters. Some will turn an unconscious person face up and others will not. Type III’s will turn most people, include the inflatable type preservers, are designed for many different water activities, and are generally comfortable to wear. Type IV’s are the throwable PFD’s. Type V’s are special purpose PFD’s like deck coats or flotation suits.

Once we covered the different types, I mentioned that she needed to find a style she liked and a size that fit her specifically. Personally, I like to wear a float coat because it provides more buoyancy, is warm on those windy, chilly days, and doubles as a raincoat. However, a float coat is hot to wear on a warm, sunny day. Like everything, there are trade offs.

Vikki said she’d like pockets on her PFD. A float coat has them and some of the vest types might have a limited number and size. I mentioned that I own three or four different types of PFD’s, depending on the weather and what I’m doing while out on the water. For those warm, sunny days, I’ll wear an inflatable, suspender-type PFD, but I suggested to Vikki if that was her choice, be sure to buy one that automatically inflates if the wearer falls overboard. All the inflatables have a manual activation device, but the wearer might not always be able to trigger it.

Another thing I emphasized was to choose a bright colored PFD, like orange or that chartreuse green shade – something that can easily be seen if the wearer were in the water. PFD manufacturers do offer camouflage pattern vests, coats and inflatables. These usually appeal to hunters who use boats either for transportation or as a hunting aid, like duck hunters. I bought a float coat years ago in a brown camouflage pattern for use when I duck hunted. After I got a little practical experience, I decided I’d rather be found if I went in the water!

I also mentioned that she wanted to stick with a recognized brand of PFD. Like most things, you get what you pay for. If you buy a cheap, off-brand PFD, it might not function as required when you really need it. However, there’s nothing wrong with shopping price, watching for sales, and buying only as much PFD as you really need or can use. You don’t need the best PFD ever designed if you only use it once or twice a year!

Call it political, but the last point I made to Vikki was to make sure that whatever PFD she decided to buy had a US Coast Guard approved certification number printed on the inside fabric of the PFD – not a sewn-in label. The Coast Guard requires that every person on board a watercraft have a USCG approved PFD available for use. Non-approved PFD’s are around, but they do not meet the mandatory boating safety requirements anywhere in the country.

I failed to mention to her that PFD’s for animals are also available. They generally are a foam-filled vest covering the critter’s chest and back and have a”pick-up” strap located above the shoulder area. We have PFD’s for each of our little dogs, just in case.

Remember, have fun and wear your PFD — the life you save may be your own!

Howard Delo is a retired fisheries biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. This column is the opinion of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman or its parent company, Wick Communications. You can leave Delo a message by emailing sports@frontiersman.com.