Inflatable Life Jackets

The practice of boating is inseparable from the mandatory presence on board of life jackets according to the regulations on safety equipment and in particular the one called "Division 240". If wearing a lifejacket is not mandatory, all professionals in the nautical industry, whether they are trainers or lifeguards, strongly recommend it. Today, the strong development of automatic inflatable life jackets allows you to wear it permanently on board while keeping a comfort and a freedom of movement: sometimes, you even forget that you are wearing a life jacket! Depending on your type of practice and your morphology, choosing the right lifejacket is essential for safe sailing. That's why Picksea has selected a wide range of models for adults but also models designed for children.

Different types of inflatable lifejacket activation

Depending on the type of activation of the vest, there are different inflatable vests

The automatic inflatable vest, called cellulose pellet, is a vest that inflates as soon as the wearer falls into the water. The cellulose pellet trigger contained in the vest melts instantly upon contact with water, thus freeing the cartridge's firing pin for immediate inflation. The pellet is only sensitive to total immersion and will not trigger an untimely inflation during your maneuvers in the spray or rain or when rinsing the equipment (provided that water does not penetrate the mechanism). Dry storage, especially in winter, is however highly recommended. This is the type of inflatable lifejacket most frequently used by cruising schools and boat schools. All brands offer this type of lifejacket, including the Plastimo Pilot 165 or the Crewsaver Crewfit 165 N.

The hydrostatic inflatable vest, called Hammar, is a vest that inflates as soon as the wearer falls into the water. The Hammar device is sensitive to water pressure when immersed and releases the cartridge's firing pin for immediate inflation. The Hammar system is only sensitive to a certain water pressure and does not risk any untimely inflation when the wearer is showered by the spray or rain or when the equipment is rinsed thoroughly. This vest can be stored in any humidity conditions. The Plastimo brands on the SL 180 or Pilot 275 models are notably equipped with this type of release.

The manual inflatable vest, is a vest that inflates automatically but by activating a pull cord accessible in the bottom of the vest. A very reliable system because there is no risk of an untimely triggering, which is likely to happen if the vest is stored in a humid environment. On the other hand, this type of vest requires the user to be conscious during the fall to be able to activate the lifejacket once in the water. This is why it is only recommended for motorboat sailing where there is much less risk of falling into the water after a shock or a blow to the head. All brands offer these manual vests, which are often options to the automatic inflatable vests. You can find the Evo 165 vest from Plastimo or the Pilot 165 vest.

A range of accessories associated with lifejackets

The wearing of life jackets is already a great advance in the security of nautical activities. However, today, it is necessary to equip these life jackets withaccessories in order to maximize the chances of survival and to be spotted by the rescue means. Thus, we prefer vests with an integrated safety harness such as the Spinlock models like the Deckvest 170 Lite + or the Deckvest 6D 170 N UML. With this type of vest, it will be necessary to provide a 2 or 3 point lanyard to attach to the life line on the boat. You should also think about equipping the vest with a luminous means of identification which is essential to be well identified: it could be a small flash light which is attached to the vest like the Plastimo automatic led flash light or simple luminous sticks which must be triggered by "breaking" it and which are very visible, especially at night. Other accessories can be useful like the anti-brown mask.

A large choice of life jackets or buoyancy aids

You can also find our selection of life jackets or foam armbands. Often in a highly visible orange color, these vests allow you to quickly locate a person who has fallen in the water. For water sports enthusiasts, discover our selection of buoyancy aid vests for water sports, as well as our accessories.