Why do life jackets (PFDs) wear out over time?

Picture this: It’s a beautiful summer day. The sun glistens off the water. Your Sea-Doo has a full tank. All your favorite people are there. It’s a perfect day to ride.

Ready to hit the water, you grab your trusty personal flotation device (PFD) — the only one you’ve ever worn. You notice it’s feeling lighter and looking more ragged than normal. What do you do?

Curiosity: Life jacket is a popular name that refers to a category that offers different classifications and types of wearable safety resources. For the purpose of this article the term life jacket is referring to Personal flotation device (PFD) which is a type III safety resource designed for water sports including rafting.

No matter how perfect the day seems, no ride is a go until you have a life jacket that is safe to use. Not everyone knows it, but life jackets (PFD) don’t last forever. What causes a PFD to wear out and how do you know when it’s time for a replacement? Let’s take a closer look at the only mandatory piece of equipment on the water: The personal flotation device.
 

When you ride a Sea-Doo, exposure to sun, water, and air comes with the territory! They may be good for the soul, but those elements will slowly deteriorate your life jacket’s material over time. The sun’s UV rays can not only fade your vest’s colors, but weaken its straps and reduce its buoyancy. Believe it or not, where you ride your Sea-Doo has an effect on your personal flotation device too. Saltwater can corrode the outer shell of your PFD over time, especially if you don’t clean and dry it well after each use.
 

Personal flotation devices are not immune to the effects of natural deterioration. But what causes a PFD to wear out over time? Each time you pull the buckle, tighten the straps, yank the zipper, or pull the sides you put more load on your vest. Eventually, those pulls and yanks may lead to tearing, fraying, and breaking. And wear and tear doesn’t only happen to your PFD while you’re wearing it. If you take it off and toss it carelessly on a shelf, then pile other gear on top of it, you’ll chip away at its integrity. Proper storage is one of the best ways to keep your safety gear looking good as new.
 

Your personal flotation device is nothing if not buoyant. In other words, it has one job: to float. The materials that make a life jacket buoyant — namely its foam — can shrink over time with compression and water absorption. Each PFD has a buoyancy number. With prolonged use, that number will decrease. That’s why it’s important to regularly test your PFD’s buoyancy rating. The most accurate reading requires a rope, a 20+ lb weight, and a scale.

How? Attach the weight to the rope and weigh it under water, with and without your PFD attached. The difference in weight in kg multiplied by 9.8 equals your PFD’s buoyancy level, expressed in newtons.
 

Personal flotation devices don’t come with an expiration date, so it would be easy to believe they last forever. But that’s wrong. For all the reasons mentioned already, life jackets deteriorate over time.  We recommend replacing your life jacket every three to five years. It is also important to know how to choose the right life jacket. Of course, your PFD’s lifespan will depend on how often you wear it, how you ride, and how well you clean, dry, and store it. To determine when to replace a life jacket, run frequent buoyancy tests, constantly monitor its conditions, and of course, follow the manufacturer guidelines.
 

If you didn’t already know it, now you do: PFDs don’t last forever. It’s your responsibility to ensure yours is safe to use for each ride.

We encourage you to invest in a personal flotation device every three to five years. Properly maintain and store it to ensure its longevity, and regularly inspect it to confirm its fitness for use.