PFD vs Life Jacket - Transport Canada Rules and Regulations Replacement? Too small? How many? Approved?

There is no expiry date for a personal flotation device and/or lifejacket, but it becomes void if it has been repaired or altered; therefore, it is no longer usable and must be replaced and discarded for recycling. This measure may seem somewhat extreme, but one must be made aware that no control method exists to verify the quality of the repair or of the alteration. A repair or an alteration may compromise the floatability of the PFD and consequently, approval by Transport Canada is no longer valid.

Specific Personal Flotation Devices

Specific personal flotation devices exist for many different sports such as in kayak, canoeing, fishing, sailing, etc. When you purchase a PFD, choose the model that is the most appropriate for the activity to be practiced.

Many pleasure craft operators neglect to care properly for their PFDs. Some people use their PFDs as a cushion in the pleasure craft. Others use them as fenders to protect the hull while the craft is docking. The material inside the PFD that ensures the floatability could break-up and the external shell could become torn. Some people will expose their PFDs directly to sunlight. The ultraviolet rays can damage the fabrics of the PFD. All of these behaviours are strongly discouraged.

Maintenance of Personal Flotation devices

The maintenance of a PFD is simple. The operator of a pleasure craft should clean personal flotation devices and lifejackets with a mild soap or running water, avoid dry cleaning them or using strong detergents or gasoline to clean them. Let the PFD dry in the open air, never put them in the dryer, or in constant exposure to sunlight, or close to a direct heat source. On board a pleasure craft, the operator must place the personal flotation devices (PFDs) and the lifejackets that are not being used, in a dry, well ventilated and accessible area.

PFD's floatability and comfortability

Make it a habit to periodically check the floatability of your PFD. It must keep the person face-up in the water. Conventional lifejackets and personal flotation devices both have the same use. Each one has certain advantages and disadvantages.

The PFD is comfortable. It is available in a wide variety of colours and styles with models that are designed for specific nautical sports. The main inconvenience of the PFD is that it offers a lesser degree of floatability. The standard lifejacket offers a much greater degree of floatability than a PFD. By its construction, the conventional lifejacket can turn an unconscious person face-up in the water and maintain this position until the person is rescued. However, it has the inconvenience of being larger and less comfortable than a PFD. This is why lifejackets are less popular than PFD's.

During any nautical activity, in case of emergency, a lifejacket or a PFD stored under the seat in a pleasure craft will not be of any great use. Wear it!

PDF too small

If you can’t make your lifejacket fit snugly, then it is too big. If you can’t comfortably put it on and fasten it, it is too small. To ensure a snug fit, have someone pull up on the shoulders of your lifejacket while you are wearing it; your chin, head and neck should not slip through. As for the lifejacket, the rules are that it must be worn loose to allow the water to flow under the device in order to turn you face up. The lifejacket must offer a sufficient degree of floatability to allow it to turn an unconscious person face-up in the water and be able to maintain this position until the person is rescued. So if a boater falls overboard when wearing a personal flotation device that is too small, the PFD may not support his weigth.