Life-jacket: New, Old or Refurbished?

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

Every year, when I put the boat in the water, I go through the normal inspection procedures looking at the rigging, anchors, nav lights, batteries, radios, lifejackets, etc. When it comes to lifejackets, I check them and I tend to replace the cartridge and the rearming mechanism every year, regardless of the expiry date or condition and after three years I buy new lifejackets regardless of the condition; What do you do?

 

[Mr Cassandra]

I buy three year old second-hand ones

 

[Sea-Fever]

I buy three year old second-hand ones

:encouragement:

 

[Topcat47]

I inflate mine by the mouth piece and leave for a few days. If, it's still Ok that's good enough for me. Mind you I have some very old
d ones and I"m wondering about the manual valves. I replace the gas cylinders every 5 years.

 

[duncan99210]

Visual inspection, 24 hours inflation test, check weigh CO2 cartridge, check expiry date of capsule and replace if required, repack. Actually, I tend to set off the ones which have expired or are just about to by immersing them in water: they've always gone off up to now.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

I buy three year old second-hand ones

haha, that's a good one

 

[doug748]

"haha, that's a good one"


Interesting moral dilemma though.

Should you sell them?
Give them to an orphanage?
Burn them?

I must admit, I tend just to trust the original design and construction. If the op has any for sale I would be interested, my oldest dates from 1979.

 

[burgundyben]

I guess like many I am sorting through ours at the moment.

We missed 2 seasons, so I took the oldest two, my wife and I put them on and pulled the cord, both inflated, both stayed up for 24 hours. The look a little faded, the outer fabric looks a little scuffed, there's some rust staining near the bottle. I can't see anything wrong with them really. But they are from 2002, so 16 years old. Is it worth re-arming?

 

[davidaprice]

I inflate mine (by mouth, though I wonder if I should be using a dinghy pump) and leave them for 24 hours. Up till last year all 6 always passed, but last year one didn't stay fully inflated so I replaced it. Actually that was one of the older ones which I would have been replacing at 10 years old this year, so no great loss.

A couple of years ago I went to a sea survival training session and took one of my lifejackets to try. When I jumped in the pool I popped right back to the surface, but it was the air in my oilies, my lifejacket (Hammar mechanism) hadn't fired. Without having to think about it I pulled the manual mechanism and that worked. But so far my Hammar mechanisms have a 100% failure rate .

 

[johnalison]

I must admit, I tend just to trust the original design and construction. If the op has any for sale I would be interested, my oldest dates from 1979.

I can beat that. My oldest Avon dates from 1972 and still holds air. It's a while since I offered it to a guest.

 

[Guise]

We inherited 13 year old Seago jackets with the boat, when tested they leaked like a sieve.

 

[Bobc]

I have an old Crewsaver one that's about 20 year old now (not used any more though).

Out of interest, I blew it up, weighed the cartridge, and tested the mechanism last winter, and all was still perfect.

Good ones can last a very long time, but I guess that's because I rarely wear one.

 

[dunedin]

Good ones can last a very long time, but I guess that's because I rarely wear one.

Good lifejackets in a locker aren’t much use.

 

[Neeves]

Good lifejackets in a locker aren’t much use.

But they do have longer longevity.

Jonathan

 

[Daydream believer]

I can beat that. My oldest Avon dates from 1972 and still holds air. It's a while since I offered it to a guest.

Mine is 1968--but I have always stored it partially inflated to avoid any creases.

 

[Boathook]

I guess like many I am sorting through ours at the moment.

We missed 2 seasons, so I took the oldest two, my wife and I put them on and pulled the cord, both inflated, both stayed up for 24 hours. The look a little faded, the outer fabric looks a little scuffed, there's some rust staining near the bottle. I can't see anything wrong with them really. But they are from 2002, so 16 years old. Is it worth re-arming?

If they hold air for 24 hours I would rearm. Some of mine have bottles with rust stains and as long as they are the correct weight I reuse them.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

A couple of years ago I went to a sea survival training session and took one of my lifejackets to try. When I jumped in the pool I popped right back to the surface, but it was the air in my oilies, my lifejacket (Hammar mechanism) hadn't fired. Without having to think about it I pulled the manual mechanism and that worked. But so far my Hammar mechanisms have a 100% failure rate .

Sadly a member of a local yacht club died when his auto did not inflate and the boom had knocked him unconscious, though I don't know more details.

However when I stored our jackets in the dinghy and a wave splashed up the slipway on Lundy they both inflated, a replacement inflated when the navigator sat down in the water when launching dinghy also on Lundy. Two have also been inadvertently been inflated due to the toggle catching on things. All inflated jackets stayed up for an extended period but I didn't leave for 24 hours as anyway no one survives that long in the Bristol channel.

The greatest risk is that the cylinder is not screwed in tight so if it trips it still does not do the job - and RNLI found that risk on one of mine. I check cylinder and auto release dates and replace before expiry keeping the old ones in reserve in case on emergency need due to accidental release.

 

[Daydream believer]

I guess like many I am sorting through ours at the moment.

We missed 2 seasons, so I took the oldest two, my wife and I put them on and pulled the cord, both inflated, both stayed up for 24 hours.

I suppose that is one way to save on contraception when berthed in the forepeak:encouragement:

 

[Ruffles]

I reckon if someone has fallen in you're probably having a bad day and may well not be in a position to be re-arming a life jacket.

So may be a good plan to keep a couple of older lifejackets in a cupboard somewhere.

Last time I counted we had 12. If we had 12 people on board we'd definitely all need lifejackets!

 

[MM5AHO]

Annually I inflate each one, (using a pump to the mouthpiece) and rest for 24 hours. They must stay as hard as inflated. Failures I cut the bladder to make them un-usable. Close visual inspection of seams, bladder, tapes, straps, buckles, zips etc.
I disconnect and inspect the gas bottles. I wrap mine in insulation tape as I find the most frequent cause of failure is corrosion, and the thin zinc plating doesn't last long with salt spray / dousing. I weigh them and compare with last weight, written on the tape.
The use indicator is removed and the firing pin and lever tested. The water activated firing system (varies with system) is replaced on its written expiry date. Reassemble the lot and pack properly. Write on the label the date tested, and then they're ready for following summer.
On board carry a supply of pre-wrapped cylinders, and a selection of safety clips, water activators etc. all in a ziplock plastic bag.