Check Out Some Tips On How To Choose And Wear A Life Jacket
In addition to offering great safety in the midst of fishing, the life jacket is a mandatory piece of equipment on your vessel, whether small, medium or large.
This is because in times of emergency, knowing how to swim very well or knowing the river and the fishing area may not be enough, something that reminds us of the importance of life jackets.
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| Check Out Some Tips On How To Choose And Wear A Life Jacket |
So, today we are going to deal with essential information to make the correct choice of life jacket , so that you not only follow the law, but take care of your safety.
Types of life jackets
There are five types of life jackets , which are used according to the location and activity performed, so it is worth knowing all the models:
CLASS I
The Class I life vest is the most complete model on the market and has the collar , reflective stickers, rescue strap , castaway cable , signal light and whistle as safety items .
A very interesting point of this vest is that its collar prevents drowning , as it prevents the person from facing the water if they are unconscious.
Therefore, because it is a more robust type of vest, it is normally used on oil platforms and on crossings far from the coast, that is, it is widely used in the oceans.
However, one feature that may be negative for some anglers is that the Class I vest is usually heavy .
CLASS II
In contrast, the Class II life jacket can be found in the form of a sarong or a lab coat .
The canga model is square and the coat can be worn as a jacket, being more comfortable.
Class II vests are composed of a collar , reflective stickers and whistles , so they are ideal for navigation close to the coast.
And as for their types, there isn’t a better or worse one because it depends on the person’s preference.
CLASS III
The Class III vest only has the collar and whistle.
For this reason, it is a model used in sports activities that are done in rivers , lakes and dams .
Basically this is also the main model for fishing and canoeing , especially as it is light and comfortable .
However, it is worth noting that the durability of this vest may be lower. And because it has fewer safety items, use on the high seas is not interesting.
CLASS IV
With regard to safety items , it is interesting to note that they may vary according to the activity performed by the professional.
The Class IV life jacket is typically a piece of equipment used by employees who work in a situation where there is a risk of falling into water.
Talking about its advantages, this equipment was made for use over long periods and can be vest or buoy format.
CLASS V
Finally, the last vest model would be the V-Class , which is ideal for practicing sports activities . For example: kayak, buoy cross, jet-ski, stand up paddle, banana-boat, rafting, windsurf and mainly fishing .
It is immensely advantageous in water sports as it is versatile and similar to a t-shirt, thus offering enormous practicality.
However, there is a specific model for each of the sports activities mentioned above. According to the modality, the security items vary from one model to another.
How to choose the best life jacket
The type , material , size , color and approval must be observed when choosing the vest .
So, go ahead and understand each of these features in detail, to ensure safety in your favorite sport:
life vest template
Let’s first consider what your vest type/model would be through the wearing location.
In general, the Class I vest must be used in national and international waters and the Class II in navigations close to the coast up to 200 miles or 320 kilometers.
On the other hand, the Class III model is for rivers , lakes and dams , as well as the Class IV model was made for individuals who work in places where there is a risk of falling into water.
Finally, the Class V vest is ideal for water sports .
So, analyze your fishing location and initially define what would be the ideal life jacket model in your case .
Material
There are two types of material, nylon or Neoprene , so it is interesting to know about both to establish the best one.
First of all, the vest produced with nylon has a more affordable cost and is a cold material , that is, interesting if the water is hot, but it can have its disadvantages in cold waters.
On the other hand, the vest made of Neoprene is famous for having an isothermal function , that is, the temperature remains constant, in addition to being more comfortable and providing greater freedom of movement .
In this way, the materials provide the same level of safety , but it is interesting for the fisherman to analyze it taking into account his preferences.
Size
Vests have different sizes by weight .
Therefore, check the following information on weight ranges determined by the Engineering Department :
- Size-PP (child) => up to 25 kg;
- Size-P (child) => from 25 to 35 kg;
- Size-M => from 35 to 55 kg;
- Size-G => from 55 to 110 kg;
- Size-XL => from 110 to 150 kg.
Color
A point that seems to be simple, however, plays a key role in choosing your life jacket is the definition of color.
Bright colors like orange, yellow and red are ideal because they are more visible.
In emergencies , the visualization of flashy colors becomes simpler, so choose one of these colors for your vest.
Approval of the life jacket
And in closing, understand that you need to require the DPC approval certificate when obtaining your life jacket.
For reference we take the example of Brazil Navy: The certificate guarantees that the equipment has passed several resistance and performance tests, required by the Brazilian Navy .
Obtaining an approved life jacket is a right, therefore, all manufacturers must provide a copy of the updated certificate.
Then choose “catalog of approved material” and “approved material”, so that finally click on the letter C and choose “life jackets” or on the letter B and click on “circular buoys”.
It will be possible to check all the information regarding the approval.
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