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Water Safety Q&A - Fact vs. Fiction The following quiz underscores popular misconceptions about Coast Guard approval, approved PFDs, and drownings.
Water Safety Q&A - Fact vs. Fiction Many consumers believe that all of the above questions are true. In fact, however, theyÕre all false, and this erroneous information about drownings and Coast Guard jurisdiction is difficult to dispel because many people are not only uneducated about water safety, but also misinformed about Coast Guard jurisdiction. Question # 1. Ñ HereÕs a direct quote from the THINK SAFE booklet sold with every U.S. Coast Guard approved life vest: What does this mean? It means that the vast majority of all drownings could be avoided by practically any flotation device that will help the victim make it a few feet to safety! ThatÕs why by just inflating into a life preserver or flotation ring, THE SWIMMER'S SAFETY BELT® should help get you out of trouble 9 out of 10 times! Question # 2. Ñ There are over 140,000 drowning victims each year Ñ far more than most natural disasters within the last century Ñ and the vast majority of these victims are swimmers. Though fewer boaters drown, the irony is that because traditional life vests are so bulky and uncomfortable, 80% of the boaters who drown actually had life vests on board, but were not wearing them when they fell into the water! Again, by simply inflating into a life preserver or flotation ring, THE SWIMMER'S SAFETY BELT® should help prevent the vast majority of swimming emergencies. Question # 3. Ñ Most ocean life guards will tell you that the majority of swimmers pulled out of the water are victims of riptidesÑtreacherous, unexpected currents that suddenly pull a swimmer out to sea. Unfortunately, many riptide victims are not saved. HereÕs another reason why by just inflating into a life preserver, THE SWIMMER'S SAFETY BELT® should help let you ride out a riptide and get back to shore the great majority of times! Question # 4. Ñ Since all Type III foam vests give exactly the same amount of minimum buoyancy Ñ 15.5 lbs Ñ boaters who pay $60, $80 or more for a Type III foam vest are paying extra money for nothing more than the vestÕs fancy external appearance Ñ ÓBecause they look more substantial,Ó and probably because theyÕre simply more attractive and more expensive. THE SWIMMERÕS SAFETY BELT® gives you MORE buoyancy than a Type III foam life vest--16 pounds versus 15.5 pounds--and, unlike a Type III foam vest, plenty of buoyancy in the chest region when you convert it into a life vest. Question # 5. Ñ In most states non-approved PFDs can be worn on boats as long as theyÕre only auxiliary equipment for approved vests that are on board. For years non-approved inflatable PFDs have been sold to boaters with great success Ñ at prices that can exceed $100. This means that THE SWIMMER'S SAFETY BELT® can be used on boats. Question # 6. Ñ A recent NBC DATELINE report that sharply attacks Type III approved vests opens with the scene of a man who said he thought it was impossible that his jet skiing brother could drown while wearing a Coast Guard approved life vest. Unfortunately, he was wrong. Most everyone will agree that wearing any approved life vest is far better than wearing no PFD at all, but there are still a surprising number of boaters who drown each year while wearing Type III foam vestsÑand this is primarily because most boaters either donÕt read or clearly understand the following small printed warning on the cover of the THINK SAFE booklet sold with every Type III life vest. As the DATELINE report and the U.S. Coast Guard itself points out in its THINK SAFE booklet, Type III vests should be used only for calm waters near shore where thereÕs a good chance of fast rescueÑbut instead many boaters who venture into remote waters still think that Type III vests will save them in stormy, high wave situations where a Type I foam vest or an inflatable PFD with over 20 pounds of buoyancy is far more appropriate. Contrary to what most people think, less than 1% of all drowning victims are unconscious. The only life vests that will save an unconscious person are the Type I and possibly Type II foam vests, and some automatically inflating PFDs, which instantly inflate by themselves when a person falls into the water. On the other hand, the most popular-selling Type III foam vest will definitely not keep an unconscious wearerÕs head out of the water. If swimmers who wear a Type III foam vest simulate exhaustion or unconsciousness by going limp in the water, theyÕll immediately discover that theyÕre face-down in the waterÑthis is a particularly hazardous risk for a child who is a non-swimmer and falls into the water while wearing a Type III vest. The problem with Type III foam vests is thatÑunlike most inflatable PFDs and Type I and Type II foam vests, which, unfortunately are also so bulky and uncomfortable that swimmers never wear themÑthey provide very little buoyancy in the chest region, which is necessary to help buoy the userÕs head up out of the water. As a result of this lack of buoyancy in the chest region, if a wearer becomes exhausted or surrounding waves are too high and rough, the Type III foam vest is far less effective in helping to keep the userÕs head out of the water. In contrast, THE SWIMMER'S SAFETY BELT® can easily be converted into a life vest that will offer considerable help in keeping your head out of the water. THE SWIMMER'S SAFETY BELT® can be used a auxiliary equipment to approved vests, but it should be used only for near-shore waters where the chance for quick rescue is likelyÑNOT for remote waters, where a Type I vest with over 20 pounds of buoyancy or an inflatable PFD with over 20 pounds of buoyancy is far more appropriate. Question # 7. Ñ The U.S. Coast Guard has no jurisdiction whatsoever over swimmers, land fisherman, surfers, snorklersÑtheir jurisdiction extends ONLY to boats. This means that THE SWIMMER'S SAFETY BELT® is ideal for swimming, fishing, surfing, snorkeling and boating. Question # 8. Ñ THE SWIMMER'S SAFETY BELT® is just like the fannypack life vests I've seen around for years. Anyone who compares these two PFDs side-by-side will immediately see that fannypacks are a lot more bulky than THE SWIMMER'S SAFETY BELT®Ñyou'd never wear one to go swimming. And even though THE SWIMMER'S SAFETY BELT® is very slim in the first place, measuring 18" long (not including the waist strap) x 2" wide x û" thick at the center, it looks even slimmer when you put it on because it wraps around your waist like an ordinary belt and closely hugs the soft tissue of the abdominal area, actually "sinking in" up to several inches, depending on the girth of the wearer, and because of this it has little if any profile, unlike the protruding appearance of a fannypack (See THE SWIMMER'S SAFETY BELT® profile photos throughout this website.) In contrast, the dimensions of most fannypacks are about 9" long (not including the waist strap), 5" wide and 4" thick, and they resemble a small, rectangular handbag or throw pillow attached to your waist. Even more importantly, many consumers aren't aware of the fact that because of their traditional design, most fannypacks have an alarming tendency to at times not inflate! This is because the inflator is located inside the pouch and the ripcord runs through a hole at the bottom of the pouch in such a way that if the vest isn't folded back into the pouch just right, vest material can obstruct the CO2 inflator arm and prevent it from being pulled downward when the ripcord is pulled. In fact, one manufacturer actually points out this problem in its repacking instructions by stating that if the fannypack doesn't inflate when the ripcord is pulled, the pouch will have to be manually opened, and then the vest can be inflated either by again pulling the ripcord or by oral inflationÑnot something we think most people who accidentally fall into the water would look forward toÑespecially when they expect the vest to inflate by pulling the ripcord! In contrast, because of its unique patented design THE SWIMMER'S SAFETY BELT® consistently inflates.Why? Because THE SWIMMER'S SAFETY BELT® has an inflator that's located on the outside of the jacket, and unlike a pouch, which remains intact when the ripcord is pulled, THE SWIMMER'S SAFETY BELT® has a jacket, and when the ripcord is jerked downward the entire jacket opens like a parachute pack from one end to the other, which allows the folded vest inside to freely deploy as it inflates. Question # 9. Ñ Buoyancy is defined as the tendency of an object to rise or float in a fluid. Since the average body is 80% water and 15% fat, a 150 pound person will provide approximately 95% x 150 = 142.5 pounds of buoyancy Ñ that means only 7.5 pounds of additional life vest buoyancy should keep that personÕs head out of the water. Buoyancy is measured in pounds or Newtons, and the average adult requires only 7-12 pounds of buoyancy to keep their heads out of calm water. The Coast Guard approved foam Type III PFD provides a minimum buoyancy of 15.5 pounds of buoyancy, but again, remember that thereÕs very little buoyancy in the chest region to help keep your head out of the water. The best approved foam PFD for keeping the userÕs head out of the water is the Type I vest, which has a buoyancy of 22 pounds; however, this vest is so bulky that few boatersÑand no swimmers Ñ wear it. Also, 1 gram of CO2 gas = 1 lb. of buoyancy. Since the 16 gram model of THE SWIMMER'S SAFETY BELT® provides 16 lbs. of buoyancy Ñ more than a type III foam vest. THE SWIMMER'S SAFETY BELT® again, provides 16 pounds of buoyancy Ñ more than the minimum buoyancy of a Type III boat vest. |
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