Lifejackets - it gets worse

[extravert]

Try again...

Last week I was grumbling about how when I tested 6 of my 5 year old and home maintained inflating lifejackets, only 2 of them worked properly. I thought that maybe it was because they were old and never professionally serviced that caused their unreliability.

So on Saturday off I went to Fleetwood to do their Sea Survival course. Early on in the day the presenter was describing lifejackets, and brought out a gas inflating one to set off for us as a demonstration. This was a full commercial number, not cheap, and maintained regularly by experts.

The toggle was pulled, the gas whoosed in, and then there was a loud pop as the bladder split. Not much good if that had happened in a real situation.

Anyone got any old cork jackets they don't want? I'm beginning to think they might be more useful than gas ones. At least they will always float.

The next jacket tested on the course worked properly. Number of jacket inflations I have witness in the last 2 week : 8. Number that inflated correctly : 3.

<hr width=100% size=1>One day, I hope to own a real boat (and a reliable lifejacket).

 

[Deep_6]

Perhaps it was because it was a demo one and had been inflated a few hundred times - still not very good though. What did the instructor say?
Hope you enjoyed the course, I found it very worth while and the instructors of a very high standard when I did it a few years ago.

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[charles_reed]

Useful jeremiad

Because ALL occasional use safety aids are suspect unless they're thoroughly tested on a regular basis and stored carefully.

Before jumping to any conclusions, I would suspect that the wrong size CO2 bottle had been fitted and that the fault lay with the "commercial" maintenance rather than the manufacturer of the jacket.

However, it could have been thoroughly baked which would result in just that failure mode.

So - I test-weigh the CO2 bottles at least annually and I orally inflate the bladder and keep the jackets hanging up in shade in the after cabin.
Even then I find regular failures.

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[DeepAndy]

Re: Useful jeremiad

I run a commercial dive vessel, this was the first reason that i opted fro the DOT, hard bulky KAPOK ones

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.taurusdiving.co.uk>http://www.taurusdiving.co.uk</A>

 

[coco]

Window Duo Protect 275: SECUMAR Duo Protect, dual-walled system. High class life jacket with excellent buoyancy and first class comfort - combination of viewing window and SECUMATIC 4001 S allows a visual check of the inflation device with one glance.

Look at http://www.secumar.com/secumar/u/php/produkte.499.html

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[milltech]

Of course you're right, Secumar are tops, never had a recall notice, but just for interest sake I can tell you I had five in stock and I've still got four, and when I finally make another boat purchase I'm fairly confident they will be around to go with me. Nobody likes to pay for safety.

<hr width=100% size=1>John
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.allgadgets.co.uk>http://www.allgadgets.co.uk</A>

 

[peterb]

Ever heard of

the "Little Gem" fuse tester? Small black box with 13A plug pins on side, and a red indicator light and push button on top. Plug in and red light shows. Push button and (if it's working) the light goes out to show that the fuse operated. Only problem is that the button switch puts a short circuit on the mains, and hence blows the fuse (you hope!). All that a test shows is that it was working when you did the test; whether or not it still works after the test is questionable.

Incidentally, leave a "Little Gem" on a desk in an empty office, wait for the occupant to return and within 5 minutes all the lights go out. Once they've been restored, wait a few more minutes and watch the occupant emerge and walk down the coridoor looking for another empty office........ Not me, of course, I'd never do such a thing.

 

[coco]

Agree with you, they are very expensive, but I always have been puzzled how people happily plunk a 100k into a new boat and would shy away from lifejackets at 300 quid a piece. I never understood the logic. Same story for the liferaft issue.

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[tome]

We used to issue the Secumar jackets, but they were too heavy to wear all day so people would discard them at the first excuse. Eventually went over to Crewsaver 150N and had much more success as they were more comfortable for prolonged use. As always, it's a compromise between safety and convenience.

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