🔍 Key Concepts

• Life jacket performance standards under U.S. Coast Guard approval (Type I, II, III, etc.) • Difference between buoyant vests / work vests and approved life jackets • Purpose of life jackets in turning an unconscious person’s face out of the water

💭 Think About

• Think about which life jacket types are specifically designed to help an unconscious person in the water—what is their main function? • Ask yourself: Are all flotation devices (like work vests or buoyant vests) considered equivalent to life jackets for meeting carriage requirements? • Consider whether a life jacket’s effectiveness depends on a specific side facing out, or if it is designed to work properly when worn correctly in general.

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify which device types are USCG-approved life jackets versus work vests or buoyant vests in 46 CFR and 33 CFR. • Check the definition and intended function of a Type I offshore life jacket regarding an unconscious person’s position in the water. • Confirm whether minor cosmetic issues (light stains or fading) automatically cause a life jacket to be unsafe, or if the concern is more about physical damage, rot, or loss of buoyancy.