Some Boaters May Welcome Inflation

Mariners have used animal stomachs and other air-filled items to keep themselves afloat since before the time of Christ.

But it’s been only in the past two years that inflatable life jackets have won approval from the U.S. Coast Guard.

Now that some inflatables are certified, boating-safety advocates hope more people than ever will wear life jackets. The devices, most of which look like suspenders until they’re inflated, are lighter, cooler and less bulky than life jackets made of molded foam.

Inflatables have been on the market for decades, but few boaters bought them because they also had to carry life jackets that are Coast Guard-approved to be legal.

Inflatables also are more expensive than most other life jackets; typical is a Stearns model that sells for $79.99 at Tri-State Outfitters in Coeur d’Alene.

The Coast Guard has issued inflatable life jackets to its seamen for years. But the agency refused to certify the devices until companies made them more user-friendly, said Sam Wehr of the Coast Guard’s division of life-saving standards in Washington, D.C.

The inexpensive cartridges that fill air bladders inside the life jackets with carbon dioxide must be replaced after one use. Tests in the 1980s and early 1990s showed that many recreational boaters would forget to make the change, rendering the life jackets useless.

In recent years, companies have come up with simple devices to tell users at a glance whether their life jackets are armed or unarmed. So far, eight companies have passed the expensive and rigorous testing required to sell their products with the Coast Guard’s blessing.

Among the first to be certified were SOSpenders, manufactured by Sporting Lives, Inc., in Fruitland, Idaho.

Sporting Lives president Scott Swanby said he sold the devices for 10 years before gaining the Coast Guard seal, a process that cost more than $20,000. Since then, sales have increased dramatically.

Swanby warns that inflatables are not intended for water-skiers, people riding personal watercraft or others who spend a lot of time in the water. Nor are they a good option for running whitewater rivers, where “you need the beefiest, bulkiest vest you can buy” as protection from rocks.

Swanby contends they’re ideal for casual boaters and fishermen, including those who wade rivers or use float tubes. They’re also good for hunters, who have trouble shooting accurately with thick life jackets over their shoulders.

“Everyone I duck hunt with has one,” said Brad Fowler of Coeur d’Alene, who bought his Browning suspenders eight years ago.

The people charged with making sure boaters play safe may be the next to get inflatable life jackets, said Kootenai County Marine Deputy Kevin Mumford.

“Right now, we don’t wear life jackets all the time out on the water” because they’re hot and restricting when combined with bullet-proof vests, said Mumford.

But not wearing a life jacket sets a bad example, Mumford said. So the sheriff’s department may buy inflatables for marine deputies and require their use.