Family Boating

Children and PFDs

Safety Tip of the Day: Kids Must Wear PFDs
It is important that children under 12 years of age keep their Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) on when on a boat or in the water.

Children often don’t like wearing Personal Flotation Devices. They can be uncomfortable and restricting. However, it can save their lives whether they are in the boat or in the water. Here are some suggestions from the captains at BoatTEST.com to help children enjoy boating while wearing their PFDs.

PFD

Wearing properly-fitted Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs) ensures better safety while on the water. However, children often simply don’t want to wear them. - Photo Courtesy of The U.S. Coast Guard.

Sometimes getting children to wear a PFD while boating is a challenge many parents face. If your children and their friends are on your boat, you are responsible for their safety and it is imperative that they follow your safety instructions. Including wearing their PFD. If you are struggling with children that just don’t want to wear a PFD, try these strategies to cut down on their complaints:

Rewards. If your children are particularly stubborn, you might want to give them a prize or treat at the end of the day for wearing their PFD. 

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Letting children pick out their own style PFD can make them feel like they have some control. - Photo Courtesy of The U.S. Coast Guard.

Freedom of choice. Let them pick their own PFDs. They come in a variety of types and fun designs. There are Finding Dory PFDs, Spider-Man PFDs, Barbie PFDs, and a myriad selection of other designs made to appeal to children of all ages. 

Make sure they fit. Most PFDs are designed for the size of the child. It is usually marked on the PFD by weight. However, try the PFD on the child in question. Make sure it does not irritate or restrict. The style also makes a difference.

Kids and PFDs

Children are never too young to be on a boat – so long as they have a properly fitted PFD made for their weight. This 18-month toddler got used to his PFD right away (and it helped keep him warm, too.)

 

Kids and PFDs

For small children, make sure there’s flotation behind their head in order to hold them up when in the water.

Kids and PFDs

PFDs are also a good way to get your children acquainted with the water and build their confidence to start learning to swim.

Do not put cheap orange PFDs on kids.  Inexpensive, bulky PFDs are uncomfortable, ugly and they restrict movement. Good, properly-made PFDs are not cheap.  So, calculate how much your child is worth and act accordingly.  Vest-style PFDs are the most comfortable for kids as well as adults, and that’s why we always recommend them for everyone.  Life vests for toddlers and small children will have flotation behind that lays on their back and will rise up when the child is in the water to hold its head. 

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Each state has its own laws about the age at which children must wear a PFD. Know the law in the state you are boating in. - Photo Courtesy of The U.S. Coast Guard.

Never give in -- it’s the law. Most states have laws in place that require children to wear their life jackets up to a certain age, so always make the kids wear their jackets. If you give in once, it’ll be harder the next time. 

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When the adults wear their PFDs it communes the seriousness of boating and safety. - Photo Courtesy of The U.S. Coast Guard.

Wear your PFD. If children see adults wearing their PFDs, they are less likely to put up a fight because the potential for danger during the ride is already being communicated to them in a clear manner.

Kids and PFDs

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