Senior-Friendly Safety Upgrades: PFDs, Automatic Inflatables, EPIRB, and PLB

The single biggest safety upgrade for a senior boater is wearing the personal flotation device, called a PFD, at all times the boat is moving. US Coast Guard data from 2023 shows that 86 percent of drowning fatalities involved a victim who was not wearing a PFD. Many of the victims had a PFD on board, often stowed under a seat or in a deck locker. A PFD inside a seat locker cannot help a person who is suddenly in cold water. The federal rule requires only that the boat carry one PFD per person, but the recommendation from the Coast Guard and from the BoatUS Foundation is to wear one at all times.

The federal classification of PFDs changed in 2014 and again in 2024 to harmonize with international standards. The old Type I, II, III, IV, V classification is being phased out. New labels use icons and a numerical Newton rating. The practical equivalents that still ship and that a senior is likely to encounter on the dock or in the West Marine catalog are: Type I offshore life jacket, 22 pounds buoyancy, designed to turn an unconscious face up; Type II near-shore life jacket, 15.5 pounds buoyancy, also turn-capable for most adults; Type III flotation aid, 15.5 pounds buoyancy, sized for fit and comfort but does not reliably turn an unconscious wearer; Type IV throwable cushion or ring; and Type V special-use including inflatable belt packs and automatic-inflate suspenders.

For a senior on calm inland water, a comfortable Type III foam vest worn at all times is the right choice. For a senior on coastal or offshore water, an automatic-inflate Type V suspender is the better choice. The auto-inflate vest weighs about a pound, sits like a pair of suspenders, and inflates on contact with water using a CO2 cartridge. The vest provides 33 pounds of buoyancy when inflated, more than any Type I foam jacket. The cartridge and the bobbin must be inspected each spring. Mustang Survival, Onyx, and Stearns are the leading brands. Prices run 100 to 250 dollars per vest.

An EPIRB, which stands for Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, is a 406 megahertz distress beacon that connects to the COSPAS-SARSAT satellite network. The signal includes the boat's identity, registered through NOAA, and a GPS position accurate to within 100 meters. The Coast Guard receives the alert within 5 minutes and launches a rescue. EPIRBs are sized for the boat, register to the hull identification number, and run 600 to 1,200 dollars. A PLB, or Personal Locator Beacon, is the smaller version registered to a person rather than a boat. PLBs run 280 to 500 dollars. The senior wears the PLB on a belt clip or in a vest pocket. The PLB also uses 406 megahertz and the same satellite network. Source pages include uscgboating.org, sarsat.noaa.gov, and the BoatUS Foundation page at boatus.org/life-jacket.