When the Canadian Safe Boating Council (CSBC) and SmartBoater.ca speak to Canadian boaters about the importance of wearing your lifejacket there is no gentle way to say it. Not wearing your lifejacket could cost you your life!
Many boaters will proudly tell boating safety officials that they always have their lifejackets on board their boats, just like the law demands. The CSBC applauds this but reminds those boaters that if you fall in the water without your lifejacket on, that sense of pride won’t help. And in the case of an inflatable PFD, the law requires it be worn while on board.
Not long ago, the CSBC selected roughly half a dozen volunteers, both young and old and asked them to jump into a swimming pool and, once in the water, attempt to get into a lifejacket.
All participants said afterwards how difficult it was to perform that seemingly simple task. Few managed to select lifejackets that were the right size when they were in the pool.
Rob Hall, one of the volunteers, remarked “I think it’s way too tough to put on a lifejacket in the water, to have to put it on after your boat’s flipped over”.
And if it was tough in a swimming pool, imagine how difficult it would be in a lake, river or ocean.
Make the smart choice. WEAR IT ! And don’t forget to get a PFD for your infant. They’re available for children in the nine - 25 lb range. You can also purchase a PFD for your pet.
For more information visit www.smartboater.ca.
– Canadian Safe Boating Council