Childers lifejackets reccomendations

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nimbusgb

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Childrens lifejackets reccomendations

Girl 32kg 9 y/o
Boy 42 kg 12 y/o

Need harnesses and self inflating

Use in the 'Med this summer ( suspect by the end of the summer they'll be on a bunk below )

Any recommendations?
 
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I understand the wish to "buy the best" & get lifejackets, but on my boat the lifejackets only come out if there is a likelyhood of sinking or being washed overboard - ie very seldom, as we try to avoid severe weather trips.

In the summer, the kids wear sports bouancy aids if they want to leave the cockpit & quite often enjoy wearing them at anchor when they doss about leaping off the boat or playing Pirates & walking the plank. Just a thought, you will not want to be replacing auto trigger mechanisms 3 times a day @ £30 a pop when the kids simply jump in the water for fun.

And anyway you are virtually incapable of swimming once an auto jacket has self-inflated. My grandkids are all able to swim & I want them to be able to swim back to the boat if at anchor or in light winds. In my view, a light bouancyy aid is far better than a lifejacket in yer average warm water, fine weather MoB.

But maybe you are planning a long distance, severe weather, delivery trip (or RNLI exercises) for your summer holidays?
 
If you expect to wear them everyday - then go for a good quality one (Crewsaver are pretty good).

Alternatively if all you are thinking of is fair weather coastal sailing when they are never going to be worn then I would suggest any are good enough.
 
I have to agree with Searush. If they are for allday everyday wear then a good buoyancy aid is preferable.Something they are happy to wear and looks cool saves a load of nagging and stress. Modern waistcoat style dinghy aids also give a bit of body armour type protection for kids bouncing off hard objects.
Also consider the shock when an auto goes off unexpectedly, either by accident, joke or sibling mischief.
There was a thread on this subject a while ago.
 
I agree with the bouyancy aid suggestions but the person asking me the question ( or rather his wife ) wants 'the best' on board when they come sailing with us and are going to pay for them. I will look around for some kayak style bouyancy aids too. I reckon after a month of 35 - 40 degree heat and a few accidental triggers ( £14.95 recharge btw ) they'll prefer those until mom lets the reigns out enough for them to go without. A simple harness without the jacket/aid would keep them on board.
 
Surely a dinghy-type buoyancy aid would be unbearably hot for all day wear in the med.

TBH if the children can swim I think the buoyancy aid is a bad idea - you really need a lifejacket (or nothing).
 
bedouin said:
Surely a dinghy-type buoyancy aid would be unbearably hot for all day wear in the med.

TBH if the children can swim I think the buoyancy aid is a bad idea - you really need a lifejacket (or nothing).
Click to expand...

I agree. With smaller children you can have foam buoancy aids or lfejackets, but when they get to that age they can move to "proper" lifejaackets. We have just bought automatic jackets for our oldest grandchildren (7 and 9). At that age they should be sensible enough not to set them off for fun. Used when on passage, but not as part of moored up fun activities. There are several different makes but not much to choose between them. We took the children in to choose them so they got instructions on how to wear them properly from somebody other than fusspot Grannys!
 
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