Life Jackets
(Personal Flotation Devices)
• Life jackets for the operator and all passengers
must be on board while underway.
• They must be a wearable type that is
USCG approved and they must have a legible
label.
• A Type III inherently buoyant flotation aid
is usually the most comfortable, although
this type of jacket will not turn an unconscious
victim face up in the water.
PFDs should have an impact rating of at
least 50 miles per hour—preferably in
excess of the maximum speed of your craft.
• PWC riders should always wear bright
colored life jackets; orange or yellow is
the best color.
• Do not use an inflatable life jacket while
using a PWC or in any other activity
where you expect water impact at a high
rate of speed (such as waterskiing).
• Wet suits provide protection from bodily
injury as well as hypothermia, but are not
a substitute for a life jacket unless they
have a Coast Guard approval label.
• Review the section on life jackets in Section
2, Required Safety Equipment.
When you ride a personal watercraft, you
expect to spend a lot of time in the water.
• The Coast Guard recommends that all
operators and passengers wear life jackets
whenever the vessel is in use.
Section 15: Personal Watercraft Operation 171
• Many states have their own regulations
regarding the wearing of PFDs.
Fire Extinguisher
• A USCG-approved, marine-type fire
extinguisher is required equipment.
• A size B-I is appropriate (BC preferred).
(See Section 2, Safety Equipment.) The
bouncing, pounding, jarring movement
of the PWC requires that an extinguisher
be stowed in a bracket.
• Some PWCs are equipped with a container
or bracket to hold a fire extinguisher.
Mount your fire extinguisher in
the bracket furnished by the extinguisher
manufacturer. Mount it in the same location
as the PWC bracket.
Be sure your extinguisher is readily accessible.
• Stow it in a compartment that cannot
become corroded shut.
• Do not mount it in the engine compartment
where fires are most likely to occur.
• Check your extinguisher regularly to
ensure it is at full pressure and the locking
pin and sealing wire are in place.
• Most extinguishers have a pressure gauge
that must point to the “green” area. Others
have a green pressure button that pops
back out when pressed, indicating proper
internal pressure.
Sound-Producing Device
• You must have a way of making an efficient
sound signal.
• The Navigation Rules require that all
boats exchange sound signals under certain
conditions. (See Section 4, Navigation
Rules.)
• Because of the wet environment, a small,
mouth-operated whistle is best for use on
a PWC.
• A good way to carry it is to attach it to
your life jacket.
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
Figure 15-5. Orange and yellow life jackets
Safety note: Put
on your impact
rated life jacket and
adjust the straps
BEFORE getting
on the PWC.