Infant lifejackets

[rosssavage]

First outing with baby just after Easter this year, looking for recommendations for lifejackets.

He’ll be 8 months old, and will weigh approx 10kg (he’s 9kg now)..

Got my eye on the Baltic pro sailor 100N. http://www.crew-safe.co.uk/acatalog/Baltic-Pro-Sailor-Child-Lifejacket-1.html#aBaltic_20Pro_20Sailor

Any advice or recommendations?

 

[simonfraser]

Guess the jacket will fit, not sure how well the boating and the baby will combine.

 

[[2068]]

Guess the jacket will fit, not sure how well the boating and the baby will combine.

Ours went boating at 3mths.
Immediate reaction to the sound of a KAD32 at 3000rpm was to fall asleep.

If not walking, then getting a baby to wear any lifejacket will be a challenge (i.e. impossible).
Ours remained strapped into a travel cot at first, wedged into a seat corner.

Have a look at something like a Baltic Bambi ... might be a better chance of actually getting the pup into the lifejacket without the accompanying sounds of a child that sounds like it's being boiled in oil:

 

[julians]

yeah, we had ours boating at 5 weeks old, we used a life cot, well we never used it , but that was what was standing by.

He used to just be in his car seat, and we used lightweight ratchet straps to strap the car seat securely to the passenger seat of the boat - this worked really well.

 

[rosssavage]

Ok, so I said first time - that’s not technically true, we did go for a single night cruise a few weeks ago just to try hi out. We used a collapsible high chair type thing that worked brilliantly strapped onto the flybridge.

This will be pur first longer passage, and I, planning on using the RIB too, so really need to get him a lifejacket.

 

[Hambleite]

Both my little ones (now 5.9 years and 2 years) have Crewsaver Spiral 100N. They've both been ribbing since 3 weeks old and yes, the sound of the engine generally induced sleep when they were babies.

My only advice would be to get your son to try one on, if possible. This is because all people are different and some will fit better than others. Secondly, if you turn this exercise into a 'fun' activity then they are much more likely to 'want' to wear their lifejacket - and this a good thing! The last thing you want is a toddler that views his lifejacket as some kind of 'prisoner straight jacket'!

My two always referred to their lifejackets as 'cheese jackets' and were keen to put them on (and go ribbing). In fact they were keen to wear them around the house just because they could

From a features perspective, the Baltics look great.

 

[Jsu]

From a features perspective, the Baltics look great.

+1 we started with the Baltic bambi first season when our kid was 1 year old and when that was too small then the Crewsaver Spiral both have been great.

Recommend to try on before buying as fit is ultimately the important factor. If you have a chance also interesting to try in a pool.

We did that with the spiral and it turns the child around face up as it should, but given the small size there is obviously very little distance from the water to the child’s face, so seeing this also makes it very clear that you really want to make sure they don’t fall in while you are under way, so in a bumpy RIB I would potentially consider also some kind of short safety line.

/Jacob