Please select your home edition
Edition
PredictWind - Wave Routing 728x90 TOP

National Safe Boating Week is a great time to inspect life jackets - BoatUS Foundation shows you how

by BoatUS 13 May 11:28 PDT May 17–23, 2025
Inspecting the CO2 cylinder on inflatable life jackets is an easy annual task © Stacey Nedrow-Wigmore / BoatUS

Every year National Safe Boating Week (May 17-23) helps remind boaters to make safety a priority all summer long, and of the need for having serviceable, right-sized life jackets for everyone aboard the boat.

On top of that, it's essential jackets are worn, or at a minimum, readily available and not buried at the bottom of a locker and hard to reach. And it's also important that they are in good condition to ensure they will work when you need them the most.

Taking a few minutes for a simple life jacket inspection now, at the beginning of summer boating season, will help put all uncertainties at ease. The nonprofit BoatUS Foundation offers the following life jacket inspection tips for National Safe Boating Week.

Annual inspection for inherently buoyant life jackets (noninflatable):

  1. Check all hardware and straps. They should be in good shape, firmly attached and in working order. Heavily oxidized buckles, worn strapping or loose stitching mean it could be time for replacement.
  2. Ensure that there are no rips or tears or punctures in the fabric. If you can see any encapsulated floatation material inside between the life jacket's fabric's inner and outer layers, it's time to replace. You also don't want any lumpy or hardened buoyancy material, oil saturation, or mildew, all of which weaken fabric.
  3. Make sure that the label stating U.S. Coast Guard approval is attached and that it is readable. This may also help a potential on-water boating safety check as law enforcement will know you've done the right thing by having a right-sized life jacket, especially for the kids.
  4. Got any extras attached to the life jacket? Test any strobes or personal locator beacons, and verify battery expiration dates and replace if needed.
Annual inspection for inflatable life jackets:
  1. Open up the life jacket. Don't be worried you won't know how to repack as they all come with simple repacking instructions on an inside flap. The process becomes more intuitive after you do it a couple of times. Trust us.
  2. If the shell (cover material) is dirty, spot clean with a damp rag or hand wash in warm water using mild soap, then rinse with fresh water (being careful to keep the auto-inflator dry, if it has one). Never dry clean your inflatable or use harsh chemicals (such as bleach or ammonia) to clean it. After washing, hang it on a plastic coat hanger and allow it to air dry out of direct sunlight; never dry by applying direct heat.
  3. Once dry, inspect all parts, including the shell, webbing, stitching, pull cord, straps or buckle snaps, for wear or damage.
  4. Inspect the inflation system by unscrewing the CO2 inflation cylinder. These cylinders may have no expiration date, but check for corrosion. The two main types of automatic inflatables are hydrostatic (pressure-sensing) and bobbin type (water-soluble) auto-inflation systems. If the unit has a hydrostatic inflator, verify that it is not expired. If a bobbin type, verify that the white "pill" is intact and hasn't begun to crumble, and the bobbin hasn't expired past the date printed on the plastic housing. Some bobbins may only have a printed date of manufacture - for those, simply replace at the 3-year mark, or at the interval per the product manual.
  5. Inflate the life jacket using the oral inflation tube and let and it sit overnight with the bladders inflated. A noticeable loss of firmness in the morning indicates a leak.
  6. Test any strobes or personal locator beacons attached to the jacket, and verify battery expiration dates and replace if expired.
  7. Repack the unit per the manufacturer's directions, and don't' forget to record the annual inspection in permanent ink on the life jacket service record label.

Related Articles

National Women's Sailing Association Conference
“Knowledge – Skills – Fun” while celebrating NWSA's 35th anniversary in St. Petersburg, Fl. The National Women's Sailing Association (NWSA) is expanding its 2025 National Women's Sailing Association Conference, presented by American Sailing, to three days. Posted on 18 Mar
Leadership in Women's Sailing Award Nominations
Recognizing achievement in inspiring, educating and enriching the lives of women through sailing The National Women's Sailing Association (NWSA) and Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) have opened nominations for the 2025 BoatUS/NWSA Leadership in Women's Sailing Award. Posted on 12 Nov 2024
Jerelyn Biehl honored for leadership
With 2024 BoatUS/NWSA Leadership in Women's Sailing Award The youngest of three children, Jerelyn Biehl was born into a sailing family. She learned sailing from her parents and as a teenager absorbed all things boating at her father's marine store. Posted on 13 Jun 2024
NWSA to host 2024 Conference
Ticket sales open March 16 The National Women's Sailing Association (NWSA) comes to the Crescent City with the 2024 National Women's Sailing Association Conference on Saturday, June 8, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Southern Yacht Club with help from Community Sailing New Orleans. Posted on 15 Mar 2024
Dr. Anne Kolker honored with Women's Sailing Award
By the Boat Owners Association of The United States and the National Women's Sailing Association Dr. Anne Kolker grew up sailing, first as a youngster, then through college, medical school and into marriage. However, when her husband died in 2008, she realized that she needed to learn more about sailing and grow her confidence behind the wheel. Posted on 6 Jun 2023
What's the Best 'Ship' in the Country?
Sea Scout Ship Viking of San Francisco honored with 2023-24 BoatUS National Flagship Award Sea Scout Ship Viking (Ship100) has been has named the 2023-2024 BoatUS National Flagship – a recognition as the best “ship” (Sea Scout group) in the country. Posted on 13 May 2023
West Coast's Sailing Convention for Women returns
BoatUS has sponsored the event for nearly three decades After a Covid hiatus the Sailing Convention for Women is back with full sails and expanded learning opportunities and slated for Saturday, April 1, 2023. Posted on 8 Dec 2022
Linda Newland urges women to 'Capture the Power'
BoatUS/NWSA Award Honoree Nearly four decades ago, Linda Newland, a greenhorn sailor, found herself alone on a sailboat with a sorry lack of nautical know-how. She became determined not to have the humbling event define her sailing. Posted on 9 Jun 2022
NWSA to roll out red carpet for women sailors
'Sharing Sailing!' Conference to be held at Houston Yacht Club The National Women's Sailing Association (NWSA) Conference comes to Houston Yacht Club, May 20-21, offering a day of fun, camaraderie and exceptional learning experiences for women sailors of all ages. Posted on 20 Mar 2022
NWSA Conference comes to Chicago's Jackson Park YC
“Sharing Sailing,” spotlights issue that sailors represent a small fraction of sailors nationwide Women sailors from all over the country will be heading to Jackson Park Yacht Club on Saturday, September 11 for the 20th annual Women's Sailing Conference. Posted on 27 Jul 2021
Armstrong 728x90 - A-Wing XPS - BOTTOMSelden 2020 - FOOTERAllen Dynamic 40 Footer