Life jacket adults

A trip out on the open water in a boat or ship is very popular in Denmark, and with so much coastline, it's a no-brainer. But as liberating as the open water can be, it can also be treacherous and unpredictable. That's why it's important to stay safe at all times, as you may find yourself far from the coast, and a good life jacket is your best friend in the event of an accident. For this reason, it is also essential to choose the right life jacket for the purpose.

What types of life jackets are there?

There are essentially 3 types of life jackets, but the last category is somewhat different from a normal life jacket.

The traditional life jacket is made from a durable fabric with buoyancy aids sewn inside. In addition, they may have a collar sewn on to help support your head and neck while you're in the water. With this type of life jacket, most of the buoyancy materials will be in the front of the vest so that it can turn you over on your back in the water if you are unconscious

The inflatable life jacket is a cross between a life jacket and a traditional life jacket. They are usually equipped with a CO2 cartridge that is automatically triggered by contact with water. This will inflate the life jacket to give you the right buoyancy aid when you're in the water. Therefore, it's not as bulky as a traditional life jacket for adults, as it allows for much more freedom of movement. However, an inflatable life jacket requires more attention than a traditional adult life jacket, as you need to be more sure that it has the right buoyancy and that the cartridge is working

A swim vest, as opposed to a traditional life jacket, is best suited for water sports activities near the shore. They have the least buoyancy and require basic swimming skills for their buoyancy aid to work optimally. Therefore, they are also not particularly suitable for use in completely open water, as they still require you to be able to swim to safety. You can't lie down and float in it in the same way as with a traditional life jacket. On the other hand, it offers great freedom of movement, which makes them suitable for SUP or kayaking, for example

What to look for when choosing a life jacket

The most important thing is that the life jacket you wear can provide the right amount of buoyancy for your weight. Different life jackets have a different amount of buoyancy, so to make it easier to understand:

• 50 newtons of buoyancy is only found in life jackets, and this minimal buoyancy is dependent on you being able to swim and only assists you in staying afloat
• 100 newtons of buoyancy is for a life jacket that is most suitable for coastal waters and calm waters. It provides the necessary buoyancy to keep you afloat, and most will also be able to turn you onto your back
• 150 newtons of buoyancy is most commonly found in an inflatable life jacket and will keep a 150 kg person afloat, even in an unconscious state. Therefore, it works well for most sailors and can be used on most open water
• 300 newtons of buoyancy in a life jacket is for the most dangerous weather situations. They are designed to keep castaways afloat - even in high waves and stormy weather. This type of life jacket is mostly used by sailors who are on the high seas in all kinds of weather

But it's not just buoyancy that's significant to focus on when choosing the right life jacket. The buoyancy of an adult life jacket is determined by a weight rating - the weight range a life jacket covers. If you weigh more than the weight specification, your buoyancy will be significantly less. That's why it's just as important to find a life jacket that fits well, can be tightened and can support your weight.

Buy your life jacket for adults here at Watery.ie

Not only is it a good idea to be safe when travelling on the high seas, it's also a legal requirement. That's why there must be at least one life jacket for every passenger on board. If you're heading out into open water, it's always recommended that you carry life jackets with you, so you're not as dependent on having to swim ashore yourself. For the same reason, it's especially critical to have a good life jacket for kids to make sure they can stay afloat.

That's why a swim vest is most suitable for SUP, kayaking or other water sports activities that take place close to the shore. But here, both a swim vest for SUP or a swim vest for kayaking are also much better than a dedicated life jacket

If you have any questions about our life jackets or swim vests, our customer service team is ready to help you. When you buy your life jacket here at Watery.ie, 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

So you can be more confident in the open water.