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There is nothing more import for your child than having a good child life jacket.
Family waters sports on lakes or rivers use the Type III child jacket without the head pillow since rescue on a lake or river is quick. More aggressive white water rafting or open ocean child life jackets will require a Type I or Type II child jacket, depending on how far offshore you are, or how rough the water is. The Type I or Type II child life jacket will have the head pillow to keep heads up flotation in rough water or open water where rescue may take a long time.
Generally, families take kids on family activities on lakes or rivers, not extreme sports in rough waters, so the Type III jacket without the head pillow is the most common type of jacket for children, and the most common type of jacket sold at water sports stores. The Type III life jacket for children is USCGA approved (US Coast Guard Approved). If it is a river rafting child life jacket, or a canoeing child life jacket, or a kids life jacket for boating, or a children’s life jacket for fishing, having a life jacket for children is essential and required by Federal and State laws for children 12 and under.
Accidents happen in the blink of an eye, whether at the dock or when the boat is slowly navigating shallow water. A majority of states now require children to wear a childrens life jacket, and have the USCGA approval label or stamp inside the jacket be compliant. Those states that don't have this law are covered under a federal USCGA kids life jacket law for children 12 and younger. This means that the children must wear the jacket, not simply have the jacket available somewhere in the boat.
Children are experts at manipulating parents to get their way, as every parent knows. Many consistently succeed in getting to stay up just one more hour, getting one last cookie, or playing one more video game. That skill will prove dangerous when it is time to go boating with your children, as children often pressure their parents to not wear a child life jacket. Out in the water, a child can convince a parent to take off the kids life jacket after wearing it for a short time.
Here are some suggestions for using a child jacket to keep your child safe while boating, fishing, rafting, waterskiing or doing any other sport in the water.
1. Let children show style in picking the color of the kids life jacket to wear. A cool graphic will go a long way toward making wearing the jacket a positive experience. It will allow the child to feel some ownership, rather than having it forced upon them.
2. Choose a neoprene life jackets for children. Neo is more comfortable than Nylon. Neoprene will conform better to the shape of your body. Neo Child Life Jackets can be worn a long time without being uncomfortable.
3. Try out the kids jacket in a pool to see that the kid life jacket works. If you can pull it more than three inches above the youngster's shoulders, it's too big. When a child is in the water, they risk slipping out of the jacket. Crotch straps are an important feature on a life .
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