NF - How safe are infant life jackets?

[John Bacon]

Disturbing; but good to know...

https://www.facebook.com/holly.mueller.5/videos/2004369796263183/

[Fisherman]

Pretty bad in my opinion, but it's not TC approved so no good for Canada.

[kickingfrog]

As I remember it when I went looking for infant lifejackets for my kids I found out that there isn't any that are "approved". Until they are a certain weight (maybe 20lbs) you're on your own.

[Old Ironmaker]

I remember from the Boat test there are no such thing as infant PDF's. They float unless you poke a hole in them.

Edited June 24, 2018 by Old Ironmaker

[Fisherman]

1 hour ago, Old Ironmaker said:

I remember from the Boat test there are no such thing as infant PDF's. They float unless you poke a hole in them.

What, in the PDF or infant?  No infants were poked during the test. They should have something for them.

[John Bacon]

2 hours ago, kickingfrog said:

As I remember it when I went looking for infant lifejackets for my kids I found out that there isn't any that are "approved". Until they are a certain weight (maybe 20lbs) you're on your own.

That's interesting.  You need to have an approved and proper fitting PFD for everyone on board.  If the infant PFDs are not approved, then it wouldn't be legal to bring an infant on board.

I think they said the girl in the video was 28 pounds.  

[G.mech]

Found this tidbit on the Salus site.  It is a letter from Transport Canada stating that since there is no standard for PFD's for infants under 20 lbs, they are not required to wear one.  Salus does make one they claim to have tested successfully but TC doesn't approve them.  I'd put one on a baby anyway whether approved or not.....:

http://www.salusmarine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Bijoux-Baby-Vest-Letter-from-TC.jpg

 

http://www.salusmarine.com/?products=bijoux-baby-vest

[Fisherman]

Thanks for posting that letter.  The only thing I find hard, (well maybe not, the Governments involved)that they can't find a standard or make one to approve it.

[Lape0019]

(I have not watched the video) We found this information out when we were searching for a PFD for our 6 month old. Our logic was it was better to have a non approved device than nothing so we bought one that was not approved. It served the purpose of calming my wife's nerves a bit which is all I could ask for.

[Sinker]

1 hour ago, Lape0019 said:

(I have not watched the video) We found this information out when we were searching for a PFD for our 6 month old. Our logic was it was better to have a non approved device than nothing so we bought one that was not approved. It served the purpose of calming my wife's nerves a bit which is all I could ask for.

Watch the video and you might change your mind. 

[grimsbylander]

As messed up as that jacket is, and I agree it is, my kid would still wear one versus nothing while in a boat. Face down on the surface is better than 10' down in the weeds. Either is nasty but it's good to know NOT to trust the jackets 100%.

[OhioFisherman]

One of my daughters had posted this on her facebook page.

[Sinker]

On 6/25/2018 at 12:55 PM, grimsbylander said:

As messed up as that jacket is, and I agree it is, my kid would still wear one versus nothing while in a boat. Face down on the surface is better than 10' down in the weeds. Either is nasty but it's good to know NOT to trust the jackets 100%.

Im not so sure i agree. My kids learned to swim in their lifejackets and both of them worked great. That particular one needs to be burned and never produced again. There are better options out there for sure. 

 

S  

[grimsbylander]

2 hours ago, Sinker said:

Im not so sure i agree. My kids learned to swim in their lifejackets and both of them worked great. That particular one needs to be burned and never produced again. There are better options out there for sure. 

 

S  

What do you not agree with? It's better than wearing nothing or floating is better than sinking 10' down?? It's clear the jacket is crap, not much there to debate. The problem is most people don't know how or if their jacket works until they need it. The moral of this story is still to test and not assume.

[Sinker]

I misread your response. I thought you said you would put your kids in THAT jacket. I"d rather they had nothing than that thing. 

Yes, for sure, test them out before counting on them. 

 

S.