Some local boards have ordinances mandating the wearing of lifejackets on small craft at all times. Check with the region where you are browsing to find out what laws apply to you. Life jackets with kapok filling or cotton straps should be destroyed and new life jackets purchased. * Current rules: boats must wear life jackets for all on board; They must be carried on the skipper`s instructions. Not wearing a lifejacket is the leading risk factor for boating-related deaths, and two-thirds of people who die each year in pleasure boat accidents could be saved by wearing a lifejacket. An Auckland Council panel has made a major concession on plans to make life jackets mandatory on small boats following resistance from boaters. Inflatable lifejackets should be checked regularly by the owner and maintained by a licensed service agent (usually every two years – check the service label on your lifejacket). In October, the navigation and safety rules in the Auckland region regarding the wearing of life jackets will be changed. If you are waterskiing, using a personal watercraft/jet ski, paddle board or kayak, we recommend that you always wear a life jacket. Harbour Master staff and Maritime NZ officials will work together to enforce action against boaters who do not wear lifejackets and those who drive too fast on the water, including violation reports of up to $300. Kapok was used 30 years ago to fill life jackets, we now know that kapok can absorb water and straps from the sink. We strongly recommend that you maintain your lifejacket yourself regularly (at least once a year). Take care of your lifejacket/PFD and she will take care of you.

In a presentation to the Council`s Regulatory and Regulations Committee yesterday, Brown emphasized that better boater training is the best way to reduce boating-related drownings. His association believes boaters can decide when to wear a life jacket. Marine regulations state that it is the legal responsibility of the skipper to ensure that lifejackets are worn in situations of increased danger, such as when crossing a helm, in rough waters, in emergencies and by non-swimmers. The committee passed the first step of a new law that requires lifejackets to be worn in boats under 6 m at all times, with a few exceptions. New boat rules, requiring everyone sailing in the Auckland area to wear life jackets, begin this weekend. Skippers could also be charged if something goes wrong. The legal requirement for the work weekend will be that all persons on board vessels under 6 metres must wear a lifejacket, unless the master deems it safe to remove it. There are all kinds of life jackets for different types of boat situations. It is important that you have the right type and size for the trip you want to take. Cotton straps rot over time, even if no life jackets are used and in an emergency, cotton straps can tear or break. The law requires life jackets to be worn during periods of increased risk, such as when crossing bars, during high tides or in rough waters for the size of the vehicle, and in an emergency. Talk to your local supplier or our team of harbour masters to find out what type of lifejacket or other personal flotation device is best for your business.

When not worn, lifejackets must be stowed so that they are immediately available in an emergency. There may not be time to grab a lifejacket unless it`s nearby, and it`s extremely difficult, if not impossible, to put on a lifejacket once you`re in the water. Maritime New Zealand is renewing its calls for boaters to take precautions and wear life jackets this summer following two boat tragedies this week. As a skipper, you must wear a lifejacket of appropriate size for each person on board. Even when firmly fastened, life jackets tend to hurtle at the wearer during wave movements. Crotch straps are mandatory for all child-sized life jackets and in certain sailing situations. He said there was an order requiring life jackets to be worn on the lake at all times, but the “newcomer” didn`t know it. As a starting point, you should check your lifejacket with these simple tests – but it doesn`t replace expert advice: “People need to understand that it`s not about comfort, it`s not an arbitrary rule that means they have to wear a life jacket because a bureaucrat thought it was a good idea. We know that wearing life jackets will save lives. This manifested itself in the drowning of an Asian father and his daughter at Lake Tarawera on the weekend when their kayak capsized.

The father, Zoujie Cai, was not wearing a life jacket and his daughter Zexuan Cai, 6, was wearing an adult life jacket. The Coast Guard recommends the use of life jackets with tight-fitting crotch straps in situations other than very calm water. Lifejackets (also known as PFDs – Personal Flotation Devices) are an important part of safety equipment. It is important to ensure that the lifejacket you are wearing is fit for purpose and safe. Not sure which life jacket is best for your business? Find out how to make the right choice for you or the kids, depending on whether you`re in the open water or on the coast, from our friends at Maritime NZ. A council regulation making life jackets mandatory on small boats takes into account the changing face of Auckland, said Sandra Harrop, chief executive of Watersafe Auckland. Some regulations go beyond marine regulations and make it mandatory for everyone to wear lifejackets on small craft. We recommend that non-swimmers and children always wear life jackets. The most important thing to remember is that life jackets save lives. But not all life jackets are created equal.

There are different types depending on the type of activity you are planning, and some that should not be worn at all. Police will be on the ground in Auckland waters this weekend to make sure all boaters know that it is now illegal not to wear life jackets in small boats. All lifejackets should be checked regularly for signs of use or damage. The effect of this change is that the skipper is absolutely responsible for the decisions made when he deems it safe for his crew/passengers not to wear life jackets. * Proposal for lifejackets: lifejackets must be worn on boats less than 6 m at all times, even when at anchor. Dispose of dangerous lifejackets by making visible cuts in the jacket and then bringing them to the landfill. If they do not go to a museum, please remove them from circulation. Crotch straps are essential for children`s life jackets.

All lifejackets must comply with New Zealand Standard 5823:2005 or any other standard accepted by Maritime NZ. If they are not worn, they should be stored in an easily accessible place. This rule applies to all vessels, including tenders for larger vehicles. Most drownings in boating accidents affect vessels under 6 metres. Anyone on board vessels less than 6 metres should wear a lifejacket, unless the master has determined that it is not necessary at this time due to low risk. The new boat rules, which require everyone sailing in a small boat in Auckland to wear life jackets, begin this weekend.