Baltic swim vest

If you love water sports like SUP, kayaking, surfing or sailing, then you need at least one swim vest, and with a Baltic swim vest you're sure to get the best on the market. They provide good buoyancy while being comfortable and flexible to wear, so they don't hinder your freedom of movement. What's more, it's a legal requirement to wear a swim vest or life jacket on the water, even if you're SUPing.

What exactly is a swim vest?

A Baltic swim vest can also be characterised as a buoyancy aid to help you stay afloat. It's not as big and "bulky" as a life jacket, which also makes it more sporty and therefore ideal for water sports. It can also be used by people who want a little more buoyancy while swimming.

A good swim vest typically has a buoyancy force of min. 50 newtons, which means it can keep you afloat in calm water with minimal movement. This requirement is met with a Baltic swim vest.

However, it's important to pay close attention to the weight specification so that you get a Baltic lifejacket that suits your weight. Your weight affects the buoyancy of the swim vest itself. Therefore, if you are between two weight classes, it is best to choose the lifejacket with the highest weight rating. That way you can be sure that it delivers the right amount of buoyancy. However, it is important that it still fits true to size so that it fits tightly.

Is there a difference between a swim vest and a life jacket?

A Baltic swim vest has the same function as a life jacket, but still has different features. Therefore, there is a big difference between when it's best to wear a swim vest and when you should wear a life jacket. A Baltic swim vest is designed to help you stay afloat in the water, but it requires a certain level of swimming skills. Especially because its buoyancy is dependent on you moving in the water.

A life jacket, on the other hand, is designed to keep you afloat even if you are unconscious. Therefore, it must also be able to turn you around so that you float on your back and your head is not submerged. This often makes them much larger and therefore clumsier to move around in.

That's why you get the most optimal freedom of movement with a Baltic swim vest, as it doesn't hinder you when you swim in it. This is a big advantage if you fall off your paddleboard or out of your kayak, as a Baltic swim vest makes it easier to get back on your SUP board or back into your kayak.

For this reason, a Baltic swim vest is also designed to be the best for most water sports activities, as its buoyancy is enough to keep you afloat as long as you are able to swim. However, as a Baltic lifejacket is only a buoyancy aid, it should also only be used close to shore and therefore not far out in open water. This is because you need to be able to swim to safety yourself, such as onto land.

So, to summarise, an adult swim vest will give you enough buoyancy aid and freedom of movement to enjoy your water sport as freely as possible..

Choose the right Baltic swim vest

Most of the Baltic swim vests you'll find on this site are fairly similar, but it's worth considering which one is best suited to what. The most obvious one is the colour of your Baltic swim vest, as it affects your visibility on the water.

So, for example, if you're a SUP beginner and therefore often fall into the water, it can be a great advantage to choose a vest in a highly visible colour, such as red or yellow. This way, others travelling on the water can see you and you can avoid accidents.

For the same reason, a Baltic swim vest in a highly visible colour is also a great advantage if you are well away from the shore. This allows people on the shore - such as a lifeguard - to see you clearly in case you are in distress.

One final difference between Baltic swim vests is the way they fasten. They all come with a fixed buckle around the waist, but from there you can choose a zip or drawstring. They each have their own advantages, with a Baltic zip-fastening swim vest fitting as close to the body as possible, so it stays exactly where it should, even if you fall in the water.

A Baltic swim vest with drawstring, on the other hand, allows you to customise its position on your body. This makes it much easier to adjust it to your body shape so that it fits as comfortably as possible. This can be a big advantage if it's a swim vest you're sharing with others.

Extend the durability of your Baltic swim vest

In general, a Baltic swim vest is very hardy and can withstand most types of wear and tear. However, salt and chlorinated water will still eat away at the materials and soften them, which means there is a greater risk of the fabric tearing. Not very reassuring if this happens while out on the open water.

However, it's very easy to avoid this worry if you just remember to rinse the salt and chlorine out of your swim vest in cold fresh water after each use. Then simply air dry it and store it in a dry, dark place. It's important that you don't dry or store it in sunlight, as it can have the same effect as salt and chlorine.

However, you should be aware that the buoyancy aids in the swim vest will lose their buoyancy over time. Therefore, it is recommended that you replace your Baltic swim vest approximately every 10 years, especially if you use it often.

Last but certainly not least, it is important not to sit or step on your Baltic swim vest, as this will also destroy the buoyancy aids. Therefore, you run the risk that the parts of the swim vest that are pressed together will not give you the right buoyancy.

Buy your Baltic swim vest here at Watery.ie

With a swim vest from Baltic, you're guaranteed some of the best on the market, so you can feel completely confident when practicing your water sports. They are incredibly versatile and offer great freedom of movement, making them particularly suitable for most water sports activities. That's why they also give you the best safety with even the most basic swimming skills.

If you have any questions about any of the Baltic swim vests, our customer service team is ready to help you with advice and guidance. When you buy your Baltic swim vest here with us, you also get:

• Free shipping on orders over 79€
  
• 3-5 days delivery
• Our customer service is ready all weekdays from 8 AM to 10 PM.

That should be one less excuse not to get into water sports.