00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 You know, inflatable life jackets have become
00:08 very popular in recent years.
00:10 They're a great way to make sure your day on the water
00:12 is fun and safe.
00:14 They're a legal substitute for inherently buoyant
00:17 life jackets like those, if they're worn,
00:20 by a boater over 16 years of age.
00:23 Younger children don't qualify to wear them.
00:26 Some life jackets inflate automatically
00:28 when they get wet.
00:30 There's either a dissolving bobbin in them
00:32 or a hydrostatic mechanism that triggers the CO2 cartridge.
00:37 In either case, they all have a manual lanyard to pull
00:42 so that you can inflate them.
00:44 One of the most comfortable ones to wear are the belt pack
00:47 and you wear them sort of like a fanny pack
00:49 slid around to your front.
00:51 The only trick to those is that you have to be capable
00:54 of pulling the lanyard and then pulling the air bladder
00:57 up over your neck so that you're safely floating.
01:01 Whichever you choose, you have to be careful
01:03 to maintain the inflation mechanisms
01:06 so they're ready when you need them.
01:08 It's a simple process.
01:09 You follow the directions inside the life jacket
01:12 on the air bladder.
01:14 You match your reinflation kit to the device that you have.
01:18 The folding pattern is illustrated on the yellow bladder
01:21 that inflates.
01:23 When you go to use your life jacket,
01:24 always check for the green inflation and ready sign.
01:28 It appears differently on different life jackets
01:31 and some of them are hidden on the inside
01:34 and you should peel open the bladder from time to time
01:37 and look to make sure it's fully charged.
01:40 Now the suspender style life jacket
01:42 is very comfortable to wear as well.
01:44 It's a little more bulky than the belt pack
01:46 but once you inflate it, it's ready to save your life.
01:50 So keep in mind, the belt pack is the least intrusive
01:54 while you're wearing it on a day to day basis
01:57 but it requires a little more effort
01:59 to make sure it's ready to save your life.
02:01 The other style, the suspender style,
02:04 is a little more bulky, still extremely comfortable
02:06 and it doesn't overheat your body
02:08 like a traditional life jacket
02:10 and when you pull the lanyard or you fall in the water
02:13 and it automatically inflates,
02:14 it's automatically saving your life.
02:17 That's the story on inflatable life jackets
02:19 and I'm Randy Vance.
02:20 (upbeat music)
02:23 (upbeat music)
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