Connecticut Water Trails Association
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Connecticut Water Trails Association |
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Connecticut Water Trails Program How To Choose A PFD
What Does
'Pounds of Buoyancy' Mean?
Different PFD’s Have Different Pounds Of Buoyancy
What Does That Mean ?
A buoyant
apparatus is anything that can float and hold up weight. For instance,
if you had a Type I PFD that is required to have 22 pounds of buoyancy,
it would be capable of supporting 22 pounds of dense material such as
lead, iron, gold, granite, etc. It would not let the material sink to
the bottom. If we tied a 20 pound anchor to this PFD, what do you
suppose would happen? If you guessed that it would hold the anchor off
the bottom you would be correct.
How can this
PFD with 22 pounds of buoyancy hold up a two hundred pound person in the
water?
You have to do
the math! Let's take the example of a 200 pound person. Approximately
80% of the body is water. Water in the body has no weight in water. So
now we are down to having to support only 40 pounds.
200 lbs. X 80%
= 160 lbs. 200 lbs. - 160
lbs. = 40 lbs.
But the PFD
only has a buoyancy rating of 22 lbs. How can it hold up 40 lbs?
On average our
bodies also have 15% fat and fat is lighter than water.
200 lbs. X 15%
= 30 lbs. 40 lbs. - 30
lbs. = 10 lbs.
Now you can
see that the average 200 pound person only weighs about 10 pounds in
water.
The 22 lbs of buoyancy in your PFD is more than enough to keep the
person afloat.
Most
adults need an extra 7 to 12 pounds of buoyancy to keep their head above
water. Below is a list of minimum buoyancy for each type of PFD.
Type I - 22 lbs.
Type II - 15.5 lbs.
Type III - 15.5 lbs.
Ring Buoy - 16.5 lbs.
Boat Cushion - 18 lbs.
Hybrid inflatable - 22/7.5 lbs. Special use device - 15.5 to 22 lbs.
How Much Buoyancy Do You Need?
Most adults only need an extra 7 to 12 pounds of
buoyancy to keep their heads above water. Designed to keep you floating
until help comes, a PFD can give that 'extra lift'. Because a PFD is a
personal flotation device, getting the right one for you is important.
Read your PFD's label to be sure it is made for your
weight and size. In the event of an emergency - DO NOT PANIC! Relax, put
your head back and let your PFD help you come out on top.
More Buoyancy Means More Lift
70% of all boating fatality accidents result from drowning.
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