More on compulsory PFDs
November 23rd 2006 17:55
Personal floatation devise
Yesterday I spent all afternoon in the Lambton pool doing liferaft and PFD drills for the marine course I am doing. As part of the excercise we had to jump from a height ( we chose the 1.5m springboard) wearing our PFD.
1st you have to make sure of it's fit and tightness. The ones we using are the SOLAS approved so they are full offshore jackets. I have gained a bit of pork since the last time I did this drill and one size does not fit all. Not from a comfort point of view. Jumping into the water, holding the jacket down with one hand and our nose with the other, (the approved version) we jumped. Despite being held the jacket slipped up around my chin and could have cut my tongue had my mouth been open. Within seconds it was loose despite tying it as tight as I could.
In a calm heated pool atmosphere it was utter crap wearing these jackets. The only thing positive I can say is they keep you afloat, on your back with your face out of the water. If it had been a storm swept sea I don't know how it would have been. I am a very strong swimmer but the jacket made it impossible to swim anything but a restricted breastroke for any length of time. I know you are not supposed to be able to swim for miles but you have to swim to reach your liferaft and swim to avoid your sinking vessel. These were the cheapest PFDs available and now I know why.
The instructor was wearing an inflateable jacket and I was watching her with care (I own a similar jacket) I did not think that she was very comfortable either. The jacket had fully inflated and was pressing hard on her face and I think it was restricting her movements though she bore up quite stoicly. As part of the excercise we had to individualy turn an overturned twelve man liferaft the right way up. One girl got herself entangled in the lines under the raft when it turned upright and could not free herself. The jacket meant she could not bob back under the water and she was slowly drowning. Luckily there was an ex life saver standing pool side without a jacket on and an incident was avoided. This was in the safety of a classroom situation. I know it is the reason we have training in this but many recreational boaters, don't. I feel sorry for them.
If we are going to have compulsory wearing of PFDs they need to be completely redesigned to suit both commercial and recreational uses.
1) Easy to wear around the boat.
2) Can't ride up and restrict breathing, swimming.
3) Can be quickly and easily dithched to allow swimming under water.
4) Inflatable jackets should be able to be tested in store.
5) All jackets should be tested in real use conditions by experts (and their
opinions listened to).
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