inflation down!/Childs XM life jacket

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squidge

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Hi My 5 year old took a swim in the marina on Sunday while fishing for shrimp with a net. His automatic XM life jacket went off and he mannaged to doggie paddle for the 10 seconds that it took for me to reach him. I retrieved my dripping offspring and once on the safety of the pontoon i realised that his jacket had not fully inflated. Only one side had expanded enough to part the velcro.
This has happened before when SHMBO dropped the same life jacket into the drink while climimg onto/ off of the boat ( the jacket was empty that time). We bought new gubbings and repacket it , putting the lack of inflation down to the fact that it didnt really go under the water.
This time it go a propper dunking with a child inside . So before i write a very long letter to XM , i thought i would ask if anyone else has "tested " their childs life jacket?

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Hi squidge, we use (industry standard) Beaufort type, life jackets all the time when travelling offshore, and the briefing given, states that, sometimes assistance may have to be given by the wearer, in the event that the velcro fastening are sometimes stronger than the initial air pressure, to automatically loosen both sides simultaneously. I think that it is just that the weakest side opens first. Not ideal for a child to understand IMHO. Perhaps the pressure in the bulb was insufficient??

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This shouldn't happen and I have never had a similar experience, despite having a number of lifejackets fire-off under real-life conditions - none of them XM, though.

H00's explanation is probably correct, but not a satisfactory answer because, if the Velcro on one side fails to open, the pressure in the other will cause surplus air to be vented and lost so the jacket may not be able to support the wearer. In this case, I understand, an adult hacket was being worn by a child so it probably had enough to support the lad, but it wouldn't have been supporting him properly or safely.

This is certainly a case for a stiff letter to XM. Please post any reply on the board. I will be highligting your posting for Paul Gelder (YM Editor) who may be interested in following this up.

<hr width=100% size=1>JJ
 
This shouldn't happen and I have never had a similar experience, despite having a number of lifejackets fire-off under real-life conditions - none of them XM, though.

H00's explanation is probably correct, but not a satisfactory answer because, if the Velcro on one side fails to open, the pressure in the other will cause surplus air to be vented and lost so the jacket may not be able to support the wearer. In this case, I understand, an adult hacket was being worn by a child so it probably had enough to support the lad, but it wouldn't have been supporting him properly or safely.

This is certainly a case for a stiff letter to XM. Please post any reply on the board. I will be highligting your posting for Paul Gelder (YM Editor) who may be interested in following this up.

<hr width=100% size=1>JJ
 
James, Hi

You're right, this is serious. It's also following on from the articles a few months ago in which general deficencies in child lifejacket design were highlighted. (Typically, just after I'd bought new ones).

Any chance of a YM test on the whole range. My 6 and 12 year olds would gladly be volunteered...

<hr width=100% size=1>my opinion is complete rubbish, probably.
 
Some years ago I was involved with a test of Adult Size lifejackets. We experienced the type of fault you described on all the jackets tested, that were using a zip fastening. the Velcro jobs were ok.

I have seen many test articles in the various mags & none of them seem to test for inflation efficiency.

Apart from the fault descibed the main conclusion that we came to was that none of the Air only typr jackets were worth anything unless you wore Crutch Straps with them. Without the straps I would say they were more dangerous than not wearing a Jacket at all.

Martin

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Re: Child testers

I was actually thinking of a nice warm sea, YM takes them out to the Med for the trials... 'course, I'd have to be there as guardian.

Or a swimming pool if you're too mean!

<hr width=100% size=1>my opinion is complete rubbish, probably.
 
Re: Child testers

Hi James, No the jacket was not an adults but made for a child up to a weight limit as printed inside. My boy is well within the limit so i cannot see any reason why it failed to inflate.
It was fortunate that we have been teaching my 5 year old to swim since he was very young and he can "doggie paddle" rather than sink and he is not allowed further than the next boat or out of sight .
We bought the XM because of the built in harness by which he is attached to the boat while on board and the automatic inflation should the worse happen. I checked the cannister after the first failure and it is the correct size. I will speak to XM about this and i'll let you know what reply we get.

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Hi James, Its been a while but as yet i have had no explanation from XM on why my childs life jacket failed dispite sending two letters. I did quite quickly recieve a replacement life jacket at no cost which is a newer model and has been up graded from 100N to 120N . It now has a cover which is not attached to the inflatable inner and falls away when inflated ( we have only done by mouth so far).My local chandler returned the defective jacket to XM for us and called us when the replacement arrived with their stock delivery, no letter or note was attached in fact the chandley had to telephone XM to find out why they had sent an extra jacket.

My son remembers falling in and we make light of it as not to cause him further distress.I am releaved to say that so far we have not found any lasting effects and he is more than happy to sail with us.
Thanks you for your interest.
Best regards


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