Safety: Correct maintenance, packing and donning of lifejackets

Which lifejacket is suitable? Click here for the big comparison.

Visual inspection of the lifejacket

After winter storage in the cellar or before setting off on a charter trip, a lifejacket should always be subjected to at least a brief visual inspection. It is quite possible that the buoyancy chamber has been damaged by external influences and is now losing air. This can sometimes be caused by sharp-edged automatic release mechanisms, sharp objects in your luggage or chafe marks on the outer edges.

A critical point, especially with children's waistcoats, is the underside. Loose Velcro fasteners, gravity and children sliding around on the bars regularly cause chafed floats. In some cases, repairs can be carried out by a specialist company if the standardised patch does not touch a seam. In some cases, the CO2 cartridge is corroded and should be replaced. The rust primarily jeopardises the membrane of the waistcoat. It is unlikely that the cylinder will leak. If you want to keep such a cartridge as a replacement, you can check the correct fill level with an accurate scale.

As a visual check, the waistcoat can also be deployed once and checked to see if it holds air. Afterwards, even in the event of unintentional deployment and in any case after deployment due to water contact, the waistcoat must be prepared again and packed properly.

Packing the lifejacket correctly

Packing instructions for lifejacket

The packing instructions in the video

Real maintenance only by a professional

Independent maintenance cannot replace an inspection by a specialised workshop that has special testing equipment at its disposal. The use of replacement sets for the release mechanism is also not equivalent to maintenance. The kits are only intended to make a waistcoat that has already been triggered ready for use again.

Most automatic lifejackets should be professionally inspected every two years in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. This is a job for professionals. But not everyone who claims to be qualified to do so. This is because lifejackets can vary greatly in terms of design and equipment.

What does the Lifejacket maintenance?

Many outfitters and manufacturers offer maintenance; the offers vary greatly: the price range is between 30 and 50 euros plus any replacement parts, and the waiting times also vary depending on the maintenance station and time of year.

However, price and duration should not be the deciding factors when choosing a suitable service centre. If you want to be sure, take a look at the manufacturer's website: all qualified maintenance centres are listed there. The manufacturers make sure that their employees know their waistcoats inside out and train them regularly. They also only supply their original spare parts to these partners. Self-appointed experts are not supplied. They are also not informed about technical changes and have no maintenance manuals - so if you hand over your waistcoat for maintenance to unqualified hands, you risk getting it back insufficiently checked and equipped with unsuitable spare parts without even realising it.

How long does lifejacket maintenance take?

As a general rule, if you have your lifejacket serviced at the end of the season, you can be sure that it will be returned before the start of the season. It usually takes around two weeks to check a lifejacket. However, the maintenance centres unanimously confirm that every year in February and March the waistcoats pile up. It can then take four or five weeks for them to be returned to their owners fresh and ready for use - for many, the season has already started by then. Alternatively, maintenance can be carried out in the summer, when the situation is much more relaxed.

Why maintain the lifejacket?

Regular lifejacket maintenance is necessary regardless of how often the lifejackets are used - they always age. The material of the buoyancy chamber can become brittle and the seams porous. Tightness is then no longer guaranteed. There is also a risk that the release elements in the automatic system will lose their effectiveness over time. Critical faults can occur at many points that are not obvious to the layman or cannot be checked by him. In an emergency, the waistcoat may then fail.

Therefore, during lifejacket maintenance, the buoyancy chamber is checked for leaks and the CO2 cartridge, release mechanism and mouth valve are checked for functionality. Wearing parts are replaced. All seams and straps are also inspected. Some manufacturers also provide for the trigger mechanism to be removed and checked in a water bath. This ensures that the mandrel that triggers the CO2 cartridge is not damaged. This is because it can be damaged, for example, if the waistcoat is thrown into the cockpit.

When is lifejacket maintenance due?

On many waistcoats, stickers on the outside of the belt indicate when the next service is due. Even if they are similar to those of the TÜV, they are not as binding or even obligatory as the sticker on a car. The Specialist Association for Sea Rescue Equipment (FSR) wants to set technical standards for safety on the water. It has issued its own sticker labelled "FSR", which is also issued to its members. This guarantees professional maintenance and testing.

Conversely, the absence of the imprint does not necessarily mean that the inspection was not carried out professionally. The only decisive factor is the choice of a qualified maintenance centre.

If you realise that your waistcoat has not been serviced by professionals in recent years, you can still take it to a qualified workshop. They will check whether any changes have been made that affect safety. If there are no complaints, they will issue the sticker.

How long do life jackets last?

The lifejackets should be used for a maximum of 15 years, provided they are serviced every two years. After ten years, lifejackets may no longer be checked by the maintenance centres, but must be sent directly to the manufacturer every year.

Even with regular maintenance, owners and guests should familiarise themselves with their waistcoat and check it before starting a cruise or occasionally during the season. A spare set with trigger and CO2 cartridge should always be on board so that a triggered waistcoat can be reactivated. The manufacturer's specifications and instructions must be observed, not only when replacing the release elements, but also and especially when folding the waistcoat. This is because the buoyancy compensator can only fully deploy if the waistcoat is folded neatly.

Checklist for lifejacket maintenance

• Do the indicators on the automatic release unit show green? Action is required if the indicator is red.
• Is the cellulose tablet in the automatic release unit intact? It must not be swollen or crumbly.
• Is the gas cartridge screwed in tightly? It can loosen if worn frequently.
• Can salt or sand be seen on the float? They lead to chafe marks and ultimately to leaks.
• Is the waistcoat packed correctly? The float must not be constricted by internal straps and the automatic release mechanism must not be wrapped in it.
• Are the seams, straps and fasteners intact? UV radiation damages the material.

Putting on the lifejacket correctly

Choosing a suitable lifejacket, bringing it in for regular maintenance and then familiarising yourself with the instructions on how to pack it correctly once it has been deployed - these are important conditions for a safe journey.

Even more important than packing, which rarely happens, is the optimal fitting of the waistcoat; it is the prerequisite for reliably keeping the head above water in an emergency without cutting off the wearer's air. It is therefore particularly important that the life-saving equipment fits very snugly. The still widespread opinion that a fist should fit between the harness and the chest is no longer up to date; the waistcoat then fits far too loosely.

The tight fit ensures that the buoyancy compensator does not slip over the head when inflated, and the straps of the waistcoat also serve as a lifebelt. And only if they fit snugly can the force of the retracting safety line be absorbed well by the straps. Otherwise, the spine is subjected to unfavourable strain.

In the instructions, we demonstrate the most important steps for the perfect fit of the lifejacket using a Crewfit 180 from Crewsaver as an example. The instructions also apply to waistcoats in the 275 buoyancy class. However, there are differences with some waistcoats. For example, the adjustment options for the straps may differ, and there are also belt buckles that can be opened at the touch of a button. The advantage of this is that they can also be opened under load if required, for example if you are hanging in the safety line and want to free yourself from it. However, these buckles are also heavier.

How to put on a lifejacket

The lifejacket test video