MYTH #2: More PFD buoyancy is better-especially for remote waters.

FACT #1: Less than 1% of all boaters drown because they fall into the water unconscious. The major cause of almost all the 140,000 worldwide drownings that take place each year is the fact that the victims were simply not wearing ANY Personal Flotation Device (PFD)! Furthermore, if falling into the water in an unconscious state were a major cause of drownings, the U.S. Coast Guard would have required automatic inflators on every approved inflatable PFD, and such is not the case: most of approved inflatable PFDs do not have automatic inflators.

FACT#2: The Type I Coast Guard approved foam life vest that has 22 pounds of buoyancy has been the #1 standard used by the U.S. Navy and other boaters in remote waters for decades. 22 pounds of buoyancy is well over the 7-12 pounds of minimum buoyancy needed to keep most people's head out of calm water and is more than sufficient for the vast majority of drowning emergencies, even in remote waters.

BOGUS SALES PITCH: "Remember: Many boaters drown because they fall into the water unconscious-so what you really need is a life vest with an automatic inflator that gives you as much buoyancy as possible-preferably 36 or 38 pounds!" **

This sales pitch relies on two false statements: 1) that many boaters drown because they fall into the water unconscious, and 2) that more PFD buoyancy is better. This pitch plays on your fears and lures you to buy an uncomfortable, expensive life vest with over 30 pounds of buoyancy.

Again, the REAL #1 danger that almost 1,000 boaters drown every year is NOT because they fall into the water unconscious, but simply because they don't wear ANY PFD. And as already pointed out, 22 pounds of buoyancy is more than sufficient for the vast majority of drowning emergencies-including remote waters!

So why don't most boaters wear PFDs in the first place? Because they're too hot and uncomfortable-exactly like having an expensive 38-gram PFD that weighs several pounds strapped around your chest all day!

RESEARCH THE FACTS: Most statistical reports don't even mention a SINGLE boat drowning due to unconsciousness. A good place to start is U.S. Coast Guard annual Boating Statistics at uscgboating.org, where you'll find comprehensive breakdowns of contributing factors related to annual boat drownings-and the conspicuous absence of even the WORD "unconscious" in any of these reports.

CONCLUSION: Don't be conned by bogus sales pitches The Swimmer's Safety Belt¨ eliminates the #1 cause of ALL drownings-not wearing a PFD because they're too uncomfortable-because it weighs only a pound, has 25 pounds of buoyancy, and is so slim and comfortable that it can be used by swimmers as well as boaters.

The Swimmer's Safety Belt¨ is also the FIRST PFD to have an inflator that will increase your chances for survival far more than any automatic inflator: THE CO2 SAFETY INFLATOR ª automatically eliminates THE #1 DANGER WITH ALL INFLATABLE PFDs: not being able to tell if there's a full or empty CO2 cylinder screwed into the inflator (see safetyinflator)!

** Exactly how a PFD with 38 pounds of buoyancy is supposed to do a better job saving an unconscious person than one with 22 pounds of buoyancy is something of a mystery, but undoubtedly we can expect even bigger PFDs in the future. 45 pounds of buoyancy/$300 ? Maybe 50 pounds/$400?