A Life jacket (also known as a PFD -Personal Floatation Device) is a mandatory requirement when kayaking in most waters around Australia - there are some states where the legislation does not mandate it but we recommend you always paddle with a Life jacket . The Life jacket you choose to wear can be a type 1, 2 or 3 (now Level 100, 50 & 50S).
Studies show that wearing a Life jacket can increase your chances of survival greatly. The Life jacket alone is not going to save your life. A great understanding of weather interpretation, wearing the correct clothing, a good understanding of the basic essential strokes, self and assisted rescues is the key to enjoying water sports safely.
Level 100+ (Type 1) - This has always been recognised as a ‘life jacket’. A Type 1 (or Level 100 and above) will provide a high level of buoyancy and keeps the wearer in a safe floating position (face up) through the use of buoyancy behind the head. They are made in high visibility colours with reflective patches.
Level 50 (Type 2) - This life jacket will provide less buoyancy than a Type 1 (Level 100) but is sufficient to keep your head above water. Like a Type 1 (Level 100) they are manufactured in high visibility colours such as yellow, orange and red.
Level 50S (Type 3) - The Life jacket Type 3 (Level 50S) has similar buoyancy to a Type 2 Life Jacket but are manufactured in a wide variety of colours that are not necessarily highly visible and may lack reflective strips. We recommend a Life jacket Type 2 for the best combination of comfort, visibility and buoyancy on the water.
For more, please see our Life Jacket page on our east Coast Kayaking website.
Additional safety equipment we recommended to attach to your Life Jacket:
TIP: Many life jackets have attachment points inside their pockets - use these instead of having lanyards around your neck or outside your life jacket (a tangle/choke hazard if you capsize). The exception to this is your phone in its Aquapac - attach (lark's-foot) to your life jacket strap and tuck in between your body and the cushioning of your life jacket so if you are doing a cowboy or heel hook re-entry the phone wiil not be crushed between you and the kayak.
Check out our YouTube video for more information:
We are sometimes asked to compare PFD's for size & lightness. Here is a list so far - these are more intended for short paddles, recreational or ski paddling or pack rafting rather than touring when you want to carry more safety gear in your Life jacket .
Weight g | Length cm | Width cm | |
Vaikobi VXP (M) | 630 | 39 | 40 |
Vaikobi V3 (M) | 660 | 46 | 37 |
Palm Equipment Meander (ML) | 545 | 41 | 36 |
Palm Equipment Hydro (ML) | 850 | 40 | 38 |
Sea to Summit Fishing (multifit) | 880 | 43 | 42 |