How Do Life Jackets Work?

A life jacket is an important thing that everyone must carry while going into any water body. There are two types of material with which these jackets are made up of one is vinyl and other is of nylon. These materials along with other techniques lead to the floatation property of these jackets even after carrying heavy weight.

Through this blog we will try to give you the basic idea of buoyancy and how does it impact on floatation property of life jackets.

Types of life jacket:

Life jackets have a wide range and it is used in different purpose. Life jackets have generally four standards which are found all over the world.

The four standards are –  1. US standards, 2. European Standards, 3. International Standards, 4. Commercial Standards.

As well as US standards have five types of life jackets which is 1. Offshore PFD, 2. Nearshore PFD, 3. Flotation life jackets 4. Throwable device 5. Special use device

Where you should carry the life jackets

You should carry a life jacket whenever you want to go over the water like the time of paddling, hunting, cruising, canoeing, rafting, fishing, swimming and rescue someone from water accidents etc.

Varieties Of Life Jackets

It comes with many colours with a different style with different budgets and also it has many standards & different size.

Usage Of 5 Type Of Life Jackets

1. Type 1 used in any type of waters and where help for rescue will reach slowly.
2. Type 2 used in basically in calm inland areas where the rescue needs to be faster.
3. Type 3 basically used by sailors for preventing a tace up the incident. It is more comfortable and also you can wear it for all time. This type of life jackets vests is near about 15.5 pounds. It is used for quick rescue.
4. Type 4 is used for someone who is trouble & provides a backup by throwing the device in the water. The ring buoys give 17 pounds and the throwable cushions are give 18 pounds for flotation. It is not worn like a life jacket.
5. Type 5 used for some special purpose. This type has some basic activities. This type has inflatable life jackets with harnesses with a head entry towards life jackets. It provides 16-22 pounds of floating. It used in water sinking, sailing, kayaking etc.

How to choose a life jacket

Here we will discuss some important points to choose the right life jacket

1. Ensure that your life jacket is good fitted.
2. You must be conscious that life jackets make for different types of utility like rafting, fishing, kayaking, canoeing etc & the designed must be varied there.
3. You must be conscious that which life jacket you are buying that has a USCG approval.
4.  Also, life jackets have three categories like high profile jackets, medium profile jackets and low profile jackets. High profile jackets have more flotation and it is just 22-27 pounds. Medium profile jackets have commonly lower flotation than high profile type. It is only 16-18 pounds. Low profile is basically for shallow or smaller portions. It also around 16-18 pounds. So as per your weight, you should choose a life jacket. It is the most important thing, so you should be aware of that.

How does a life jacket work

1. Though life jackets are made up of buoyant things yet there are other criteria that complete the tasks.
2. The jacket should be designed so that it could provide with lift in such a way that after wearing it must not lower the effect of buoyancy either of the person or of the jacket. Thus playing an important role of, not letting the jacket sinks.
3. Nylon or vinyl whichever the material is made up of, they trap air inside the life jacket resulting you to float. While the jacket is halfway inside the water it starts to capture air. As we all know the weight of air is far lesser than that of water resultant that the water pushes the jacket in the upward direction whereas the pressure created by the air is nothing in front of it. Due to this game, even the heavier person can float with the help of the life jacket.
4. There is the categorization of life jacket depends on the weight particularly.  An adult person needs nearly 7 to 12 pounds of buoyancy to prevent sinking; however, a jacket for an adult ranges its buoyancy from 15 to 22 pounds.
5. Even an object whose weight is lesser than the minimum buoyancy of life jacket remains on the water surface instead of sinking.

Types of life jackets

1. Inherently buoyant life jackets

These life jackets are used from ancient time to now onwards. But the buoyant material is changed. In ancient days balsa wood, cork and kapok which is naturally buoyant material were used as life jackets. Now the time has changed, we use plastic type foam which is made with polyethene and polyvinyl chloride. This Inherently buoyant life jacket does not need any activation for floatation. The closed cells of foams trap air inside of pockets when it submerged.

2. Inflatable life jackets

These type of life jacket has carbon dioxide cartridges. If we activated the chambers of the jacket it will be starting to fill carbon dioxide. This type of jackets has comes with mainly two models. One type of life jacket has a stopper like a pill, these devices are made by water-soluble material. Another type of model requires activation, this type has a tab and when you will pull it, the canisters of carbon dioxide release the gas. These both type of life jacket has tubes and it is used only for strong adult swimmers.

3. Hybrid life jacket

This type of life jackets basically is a mixture of the inherently buoyant life jacket and inflatable life jacket. It is very lightweight than displaced waters weight easily.

If you are even a good swimmer, you should carry a life vest with you in the time of the journey over the water. And always choose a life vest as your weight and which is easy to use for you. So have fun in the water with protection.