There is a lot of boat safety equipment every sailor needs, besides SeeBoard’s innovative helm pad. The most important piece of gear is a personal flotation device, also known simply as PFD. But not all life vests are created equally. There are specific vests created for specific needs, so lets become familiar with them:

• Off-Shore Life Jacket (Type I) – Should be worn when out on open, rough, or remote waters –essentially when it might take a bit longer for rescue to come. It provides the best flotation and will turn an unconscious person face-up. It has 2 air chambers and will inflate automatically when submerged.
• Near-Shore Buoyant Life Vest (Type II) – Best for calm inland waters. It will turn some unconscious wearers face-up. These too will inflate automatically when submerged.
• Flotation Aid (Type III) – The most comfortable vest for continuous wear and best for calm inland waters. They will only keep an unconscious person face-up after inflation.
• Throwable Device (Type IV) – Also good for calm inland waters, but with heavy boat traffic where help is always nearby. You can throw the device to the intended wearer and it can be used as a flotation cushion.
• Special Use Device (Type V) – These are created for specific uses only. Examples include boardsailing vests and hybrid PFDs.