Lifejackets

How Often Should Life Jackets Be Replaced

Misty Thomas
By Misty Thomas. Updated: January 20, 2017
How Often Should Life Jackets Be Replaced
Image: pixabay

Life jackets also known as PFDs (personal flotation devices), must be the first thing that you bring with you whenever you take to water. Whether you are going boating, surfing, rafting or sailing a yacht, wearing a life jacket could save your life.

This critical safety equipment needs to be worn at all times, but you should also ensure that it is well maintained so that you can count on it to do its job when necessary. It is also very important that you replace your life jacket when necessary. They will need to be repaired and replaced fairly frequently in order to better to protect you. OneHowTo.com will let you know exactly how often your life jackets should be replaced.

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Contents

  1. Proper storage for your life jacket
  2. What else can damage your life jacket?
  3. So how often should you change your life jacket?
  4. So how often should you change your life jacket?

Proper storage for your life jacket

Your life jacket should never just be tossed aside. This is no way to take care of it. Remember that if you do not take care of it, it cannot save your life. Your life jacket should never be stored where it can get oily or wet and it should never be stored with something heavy on top of it. This can ruin the bobbins and pins in the life jacket and it won't be able to save you if you lose any of these parts.

If you store your life jacket with heavy items on top of it, it can damage or destroy parts of the life jacket that you need. These different mechanisms are part of what holds the life jacket together and if they are tampered with, they will not work thus your life jacket will not be able to protect you. You can take your life jacket to a service center and they can replace these mechanisms for you or you can learn to replace them yourself.

How Often Should Life Jackets Be Replaced - Proper storage for your life jacket

What else can damage your life jacket?

If you store your life jacket where it can get oils or grease on it, this will also ruin it. Oils have a tendency to ruin the resilience of your life jacket. It is very important that you do not get your life jacket near oils. Also, any liquids that get on your life jacket can also cause it to mildew. Mildew can cause a lot of damage to your life jacket and you won't be able to use it if it does being to mildew.

So how often should you change your life jacket?

If you are an avid rafter, boater, or skier, you know that your life jackets will be checked by the park safety and river safety organizations in your city. They will look for the last time that your life jacket was inspected. It is best to have your life jacket changed out once every 12 months. If you have any issues with your life jacket, bring it to your local jacket supply store and they can do all of the maintenance that you need on it.

How Often Should Life Jackets Be Replaced - So how often should you change your life jacket?

So how often should you change your life jacket?

If you are an avid rafter, boater, or skier, you know that your life jackets will be checked by the park safety and river safety organizations in your city. They will look for the last time that your life jacket was inspected. It is best to have your life jacket changed out once every 12 months. If you have any issues with your life jacket, bring it to your local jacket supply store and they can do all of the maintenance that you need on it.

How Often Should Life Jackets Be Replaced - So how often should you change your life jacket?
Image: pixabay

If you want to read similar articles to How Often Should Life Jackets Be Replaced, we recommend you visit our Recreational activities category.

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1 comment
K Manuel
My Husband and I will differently be buying new jackets this year after reading this article. We feel that boating safety is very important.
OneHowTo Editor
We're glad we could help!
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How Often Should Life Jackets Be Replaced