Coast Guard Auxiliary Reports
THE ACHILLES’ HEEL OF INFLATABLE PFDS
Inflatable Personal Flotation Devices are great! They are comfortable to wear and they provide very effective flotation. They are popular with professionals on the water such as law enforcement and harbor pilots. However, they require maintenance. I consider the need for regular maintenance to be the critical weakness (Achilles’ Heel) of inflatable PFDs.
Winter is an excellent opportunity to maintain your inflatable PFD. Since inflatable PFDs vary in the details of their design, it is critical that you follow the manufacturer’s maintenance instructions. If you have misplaced the owner’s manual, check the PFD itself for written maintenance instructions. Electronic copies of owner’s manuals can often be found at the manufacturer’s web site under the “support” topic.
Who should do the maintenance? The best person to do the maintenance is the person who will be wearing the PFD. Performing this maintenance increases the likelihood that the wearer knows how to use the inflatable PFD effectively.
In general, the maintenance process is:
• Inspect the device for damage. Beware of damage to the belts, buckles, or fabric. Unfold the PFD to inspect the bladder.
• Verify the inflation mechanism is charged and within its expiration date (if any).
• Perform a bladder leak test by inflating the vest orally. Typically, the process is to leave the bladder inflated overnight and then check to see if it has lost air.
• While the vest is unpacked inspect the survival/signaling equipment packed in the PFD. If there is none… consider adding a flat whistle, and a light designed for installation on an inflatable PFD.
• Re-pack the PFD. Verify that the manual activation handle is accessible!
• Note the maintenance on the record attached to the PFD.
Now that you have dealt with the inflatable PFD’s Achilles’ Heel, exploit its advantages and wear it whenever you are underway! Check back next week for more information on inflatable PFDs.
If you would like to learn more about vessel safety checks, please contact Steve Hults, Staff Officer for Vessel Examinations at steve.hults@uscgaux.net.
Thanks to Sherrie, we will always remember safe boating is no accident!
Please contact us for more information about our safe boating classes or learning more about getting involved in the Auxiliary, check out our website at www.uscgaux.net follow us on FaceBook @ Apalachee Bay Flotilla 12 or contact our Flotilla Commander Phil Hill at pnkkhill2000@yahoo.com.
Please contact us to learn more about getting involved in the Auxiliary, check out our website at www.uscgaux.net follow us on FaceBook @ Apalachee Bay Flotilla 12 or contact our Flotilla Commander Phil Hill at pnkkhill2000@yahoo.com
The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed civilian volunteer component of the U.S. Coast Guard and supports the Coast Guard in nearly all mission areas. The Auxiliary was created by Congress in 1939. For more information, please visit www.cgaux.org.