Lifejackets in the popular 150 Newton class work well, as the test in YACHT 18/2019 showed. However, they do have one flaw: as soon as a sailor is unconscious and wearing oilskins, they are no longer reliably turned inverted. Models in the 275 Newton class have around twice as much buoyancy and promise to solve the problem.
In the official language according to ISO 12402, Part 2, the area of application of the waistcoats reads as follows: "High seas under extreme conditions and in combination with clothing in which air can accumulate." In reality, this means that every sailor who wears oilskins should consider a maxi-sized waistcoat. Because as soon as the clothing is permanently waterproof, there is a risk that the air trapped in the jacket and trousers cannot escape, or at least not quickly. The tricky thing is the additional buoyancy. Although this is distributed over the entire body, blisters form on the shoulders, back and buttocks.
These buoyancy rings have a similar or even greater volume than lifejackets in the 150 Newton class, especially when wearing loose-fitting clothing. The sailor is effectively wearing a second lifejacket on their back. However, safety against fainting is only guaranteed if the lifejacket can work against the air cushions and turn a person floating motionless face down in the water onto their back without support from the swell.
The manufacturer's information is of little help here, as it refers to the standardised test, which takes place in swimwear and is not practical. It is therefore hardly surprising that a test subject wearing oilskins was not brought into a supine position by every waistcoat - more than half of the test waistcoats failed this exercise.
Read in YACHT 23/2019 why it's still worth thinking about a 275 Newton waistcoat and which models are recommended. The magazine can be ordered in the DK shop or you can download the test directly via the link below.
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Hauke Schmidt
Test & Technology editor
