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Starting January 6, 2025, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is updating life jacket requirements... So get ready to trade in your old PFD (“Personal Flotation Device”) for something that matches your socks, because now they’ll be judging both style and buoyancy! JUST JOKING (you can keep your current lifejacket if it’s to regulations)!
Or rather we’re only sort’a joking. The USCG has been testing and updating the classifications for PFD’s for years, which becomes official on Jan. 6th 2025. The effort includes clarifying which life jacket is appropriate for what situation (like kayaking versus offshore boating), while also encouraging innovation in the boating industry to produce more comfortable life jackets. Simply, style is important in the sense that “the best lifejacket is the one you wear”, and so we applaud the USCG’s efforts to encourage comfortable and stylish safety with lifejackets so that more people wear them.
These changes are welcomed by us old salts who sported the neon orange dinosaur vests in the 80’s and 90’s, and it’s especially good news for “fashionably unsafe” boaters not wearing or inventorying proper life jackets (yes a little tough love there - but life jackets save lives!).
Cheers! Grant Headifen, NauticEd Global Director of Education
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has updated its life jacket classification system to make it easier to choose the right life jacket for different water activities and conditions. The new system uses Performance Levels instead of the old Type I–V classifications and aligns with international standards (ISO). Here’s a guide to the new levels, when they must be worn, and when they count as inventory.
Before we get into the new levels, let’s first review our “inventory” because it’s a legal requirement as well as a common source of confusion amongst boaters.
In the context of U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) regulations, inventory means that a life jacket counts toward the legal requirement to have at least one USCG-approved life jacket available for each person onboard a vessel. Or, mostly so - the “devil’s in the details” on the rules….
Important Details about Inventory Rules:
When Does a Life Jacket NOT Count as Inventory?
*Note: Sizing Based on Weight and Chest Measurements - Regarding properly fitting, life jackets come in various sizes based on weight for children and chest size for adults.
Adult Sizes – Typically based on chest size in inches:
Children’s Sizes – Categorized by weight range:
Key Inventory Takeaway:
To meet legal requirements, you must have one properly fitting and serviceable USCG-approved life jacket for each person onboard. Some jackets—especially inflatable models—must be worn at all times to count, so always check the label for specific compliance rules.
Starting January 6th, 2025 manufacturers will begin labeling life jackets with the new “Performance Level” system. NOTE: expect some confusion as the USCG, manufacturers, and retailers begin phasing in the new system (thus you still may see the old Type I-V labels, which is OK and totally viable since this is a longer-term transition).
The new system replaces the “Type I-V” with a “Performance Level” based on a life jacket’s buoyancy (or more specifically based on Newtons of buoyancy force, which is “clear as mud” math to most of us - that we’ll explain later). Additionally, the new labels will include information for (a) best use, (b) whether it turns an unconscious wearer face up, and (c) additional warnings. The table below shows the new system, and we included whether a performance level counts towards your inventory, just to be clear on following the regs….
Also check your local and state regulations - they may be different!!!
Example of the new Labels:
What do the Performance Level numbers mean (i.e., let’s chat Newtons)?
I’m an engineer by degree and past career (before sailing), and so at this point, the team at NauticEd starts rolling their eyes - with a few choice, spicy, words - when I get into such glorious topics such as calculating Newtons! Too-Much-Fun!
Back in high school, you may have been introduced to the concept of the Newton. On earth, a Newton is a force that is equivalent to about 0.1 kg of weight – or rather 10 newtons equals 1 kg = 2.225 pounds of weight. Actually, it is 9.81 N = 1kg of weight – but who’s counting?
For example, a 160 lb (72kg) person when on planet Earth exhibits 708 Newtons of downward force (aka gravity). When immersed in water, buoyancy will reduce that weight by about 90% because the human body is made up mostly of water. So a 160 lb (72kg) person in water weighs only 16 lbs (7kg) = 70 Newtons.
As applied to buoyancy force and the new life jacket system, a Newton (N) is the unit of force used to measure the buoyancy of a life jacket on Earth (i.e., it might be different if you’re boating on Mars when they find enough water). It represents the amount of upward force the life jacket provides to keep a person afloat in the water.
To stay afloat the 160 lb person needs 16lbs (70 Newtons) of buoyancy. A person with more body fat will need less buoyancy (because fat floats) while a muscle-dense person may need more (because a lean steak sinks). For this reason, International standards and now the new US Coast Guard standard use a Newton rating for life jackets where the Newton rating is listed as a “Level”. “Levels”, then are based on the required flotation (i.e., Newtons) to keep a person afloat.
For example, a Level 70 life Jacket provides 15.7 lbs (70 Newtons: 7 kg) of buoyancy. The Levels also relate to the water conditions. For example, a Level 70 is really only recommended for nearshore waters where quick rescue is likely. A larger muscle density person weighing more than 160 lbs might consider a Level 100 which would provide 22 lbs (100 Newtons) of buoyancy even if operating near shore.
As the boater gets farther offshore and into potentially rougher waters the Level requirement goes up regardless of the weight of the person. This is because higher Levels provide more buoyancy and in rough seas that is important - especially if you’re weighted down with a bunch of gear/clothing or need a life jacket design that turns you face up if you’re unconscious.
Turning face up while unconscious? Let’s just consider a worst-case scenario wherein the crew slips on a wet/slippery deck, no jacklines, they bang their head and are unconscious, AND THEN FLOPS OVERBOARD. What do you do? A good start is just wearing the right life jacket for the situation before it happens!
“Clear as mud”, right? Eh, just follow the new life jacket labels for your “Performance Level” as well as fit your use, size, and weight – and mind that your inventory meets regulations, wear the life jacket, and you should be good.
Below is guidance on “when to wear” life jackets based on the new levels.
Level 50
Key Points About Level 50 for Kayaking, Skiing, and Paddle Boarding:
Level 70
Level 100
Level 150
Level 275
Our kiddos not only abide by different rules and regulations, but they also need some additional features.
Children Under 13: Federal law requires children under 13 years old to wear a USCG-approved life jacket while onboard a moving boat, unless below deck or in an enclosed cabin. Please note that State law may have age variants, so always check your local laws!
Weight-Based Fit: Life jackets label must match the child’s weight category:
Required Levels for Children:
Additional Safety Features:
Additional info from the USCG:
Life jackets save lives—but only if they are appropriate for the activity, fit properly, and are worn when required. Whether you’re sailing offshore or kayaking nearshore, always check the USCG label for the level and intended use before heading out.
Final Final Advice (not done yet!)
U.S. Coast Guard statistics reveal a significant decrease in drownings as life jackets became more comfortable. This improvement is largely attributed to more people choosing to wear them. The impact was even more pronounced among children. Studies showed that parents, faced with a whining or uncomfortable child, were more likely to remove an uncomfortable life jacket to ease the child’s discomfort—often prioritizing temporary relief over the potential risk of drowning.
This highlights the importance of comfortable, well-fitted life jackets, particularly for children, to encourage consistent wear and prevent avoidable tragedies. Seriously, wear your life jacket and check your inventory. They are not confidence boosters, and good intentions and positive thinking don’t keep you afloat in an emergency – life jackets save lives!
We hope you enjoyed the demystifying of the new Life Jacket Standard. All of NauticEd’s education courses and articles make serious topics enjoyable to read and consume - thus creating more knowledge retention leading to safety and competence on the water.
My mission for NauticEd is to provide the highest quality boating education available - and deliver competence wherever sailors live and go.
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