I started paddling when I was very little, I was only allowed out in the wooden canoe ( home made by my father, including the paddle) if I wore a life vest. This neve
r inhibited me from learning to paddle. Just a reminder to all the Maritime rules are 'all paddlers under the age of 12, must be wear a life jacket'. And if you are a bit older, a life jacket is ok too. If you are not a confident swimmer, or even if you are, a life jacket is not a hinderance. Today's life jackets can be very comfortable.
Boat for Life is a new website about boat safety, and the first rule of safety is
Wear a life jacket – a great piece of advice – see this website for more details. One of your most important pieces of equipment is your life-jacket. It needs to be correctly fitted so it doesn’t float up over your head should you capsize. A correctly fitted lifejacket supports your body upright and allows you to recover or wait for rescue.
Don’t leave it in the boat or on the shore, or even ask the coach if it is ok for you not to put it on your child, because accidents can and do happen. If you capsize, your lifejacket is no use to you if it is in the boat or back in the car. Without a lifejacket you can waste a lot of energy to stay afloat, and this can quickly become life-threatening.
A lifejacket helps prevent you panicking so you can regain your composure and recover more easily.
