TESTED: LIFEJACKETS
Theo Stocker spoke to the people who make our lifejackets to find out what goes into making them and where design innovations are heading
We test 10 of the best lifejackets and find the features you need to consider for yours
Lifejackets are like insurance policies. What is inside seems like boring detail until you really need it. If you haven’t ever worn an inflated lifejacket in the water, it’s an informative experience, and you’ll quickly discover that all lifejackets are far from equal, even if they do all meet the basic ISO standards.
We visited several manufacturers to find out what goes into developing the lifejackets we wear. According to Crewsaver’s commercial director Matthew Bridge, sailors often buy inappropriate kit. Round-the-can racers are likely to spend more on their lifejackets than cruising sailors who sail much further in open water and are the ones who really need the extra safety. ‘Ultimately you have to ask yourself, “What do I need this lifejacket to do, and have I given me and my crew the level of protection we need?”’ he explained. FUNDING DEVELOPMENT
It’s no surprise that research and development takes time and money. Sailing is a pretty small market for lifejackets compared to cruise ships, commercial shipping and airlines. The military, lifesaving organisations and big events such as the Volvo Ocean Race also fund design time. Occasionally, it is lessons from accidents that drive change.
Crewsaver were asked by the military for a lifejacket with great buoyancy but minimum bulk. They developed a 275N lifejacket that can be clipped to different garments, with nothing more than the compact bladder on the body, as the firing mechanism was moved behind the head, and there is nothing
The Crewsaver Ergofit (R) and its SNSM
but the bladder inside the casing. For divers, the lifejacket has a mesh casing to prevent bubbles escaping.
Crewsaver’s most recent lifejacket, the Ergofit+ was a direct follow on from the lifejacket developed for the French lifesaving organisation SNSM. Based on their SOLAS 275N, the bladder projects in front of the body to create maximum righting moment, while being narrow over the shoulders for mobility in the water. Side lobes promote a horizontal position and greater freeboard and a click-lock buckle is easier to use with cold hands. These innvoations went straight into the version for sailors. THE HARNESS QUESTION
The Teamo lifejacket and its back tow system has been developed in response to a tragedy. In 2011, Christopher Reddish was skippering his yacht in the Morgan Cup race from Cowes to Cherbourg when he fell overboard from the foredeck at night. He was tethered to the boat, but it took time to spot him and then to recover him on board, but he could not be resuscitated.
Oscar Mead spent four years developing and testing their ‘back-tow’ solution and another two years securing the patents and passing ISO standards. In essence, Mead recognised that above 3 knots, a tethered man overboard would be knocked against the side of the boat and would struggle to keep their head out of the water as they are pulled facing forwards.
For practicality on board, the attachment point needs to remain on the front, but in the water, once released, it allows the
attachment point to extend on an A-shaped bridle attached to the shoulders of the lifejacket. This spins the casualty on their back where they can breathe easily and without injury while their crew stops the boat. Mead has tested the system at up to 15 knots and was still able to breathe and talk, while a dummy with a front attachment point was towed in an attitude that would quickly prove fatal for a person.
Spinlock has also addressed the issue of what happens when you find yourself at the end of your tether for Volvo Ocean Race sailors. While the Spinlock Deckvest 5D has a linecutter in a pocket, the new Vito lifejacket has a harnessrelease system, which releases the tether attachment point from the harness by tugging a pull cord that opens what looks like a small circular padlock tucked behind the harness. The Vito also includes space for a strobe, personal location beacon and AIS MOB beacon.
Both this and the Teamo solution have passed ISO standards testing, but the standard demands a fixed front attachment point and an automatic release is not permitted for now.
Ultimately, lifejackets are functional pieces of safety equipment. We may want them to look nice, but it’s how well they work in the water. As Crewsaver’s head of design Nigel Parkes said, ‘Everything else is just decoration.’