Young kids in marinas

[Elessar]

Ours are made to wear them on the boat, if they want to be anywhere but the wheelhouse, but not for walking around the marina. This thread has made me think whether they should or not which is good.

Glad you are reflecting. They would be safer if they took them off when they got on the boat than they are now…….

 

[Elessar]

When on the moorings, we have vast collection of manky old bouyancy aids for little ones and and visiting kids (of all ages ).
At last count about 15
When big enough though, its auto jackets whenever on the move and the skipper sets good example (mostly) .

Why when on the move?

Who here as fallen in? (me, twice)

Who here as fallen in underway? (not me, nor has anyone ever fallen off my boat underway)

 

[The Q]

My SC has a rule all under 14's must wear a lifejacket at the club (unless indoors)

The best thing about a doggy life jacket is the handle on the back to fish them out with..

Certainly tourists on the broads have fallen in under way, sometimes resulting in death..

 

[BruceK]

we have bouyancy aids and life jackets for the kids. Bouyancy aids when in the tender or toys and lifejackets on commutes. The thing with lifejackets is you cant swim in them and the flow in our marina on the ebb would quickly wash them out to sea as we are by the gate. As such, given they can swim, I prefer they do not wear life jackets in the marina. But they are not toddlers being t-weens. Similarly I prefer them not to wear a life jacket but a light bouyancy aid when in the tender as should they fall off any wind will push the tender quicker than they could paddle in a life jacket and they couldnt get back in with it on. They have in fact been instructed to remove it before trying to board the tender from the water

 

[Greg2]

we have bouyancy aids and life jackets for the kids. Bouyancy aids when in the tender or toys and lifejackets on commutes. The thing with lifejackets is you cant swim in them and the flow in our marina on the ebb would quickly wash them out to sea as we are by the gate. As such, given they can swim, I prefer they do not wear life jackets in the marina. But they are not toddlers being t-weens. Similarly I prefer them not to wear a life jacket but a light bouyancy aid when in the tender as should they fall off any wind will push the tender quicker than they could paddle in a life jacket and they couldnt get back in with it on. They have in fact been instructed to remove it before trying to board the tender from the water

Actually, we had buoyancy aids for the kids for general messing about when they were growing up. A practical solution for many situations.

 

[SaltIre]

Seeing some 2 year olds today without life jackets made me think back , we were in Torquay and my 3 year old was crabbing on the pontoon I was in the boat , wife shouts he has fell in , I dive in frantically searching , came up for air were he and mum was laughing about it. While I was under water , with having his life jacket on he just popped back up and his mum scooped him up. So do you think kids should wear jackets and do you insist yours do.

Not sure about a lifejacket if just messing about in the marina but definitely a buoyancy aid.

 

[oldharry]

I am fairly certain I would have lost my eldest son when he was about 6 after he tipped backwards off the tube if the inflatable where he usually sat, if Mum had not inisted on LJ's for the 50 ft row ashore. Apart from anything else it gave me something firm to grab when he came up. It still haunts me when afloat with kids: would he have come up in time had he not been wearing it? Would he have come up at all? Who knows...

We never took chances again after that.