Recent Articles
A person paddles a yellow kayak through a narrow, rocky coastal inlet surrounded by tall cliffs, with the open sea visible in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

Level 50 Life Jackets For Kayaking

New PFD Standard Delivers Comfort for Everyday Paddlers Recreational kayaking is one of the most popular ways to explore calm lakes, quiet rivers and protected coastal waters. Paddlers often spend hours on the water, making comfort a key factor in whether they keep their flotation on throughout the trip. The new Level 50 PFD standard […]

A person wearing a hat and life jacket kayaks on calm water at sunset, accompanied by a black dog. The kayak is blue, and the sky is pink and orange, reflecting on the water’s surface.

Level 50 Life Jackets and Kayak Fishing

New Standard Combines Comfort, Mobility and Legal Compliance Kayak fishing requires paddling (or pedaling), close-quarters boat control and casting, all before your first strike. Anglers reach for rods, twist to fight fish and constantly adjust their position while managing gear and tackle. And if it’s not hot as blazes, you probably have extra layers under […]

A person wearing a life jacket sails a small white boat on choppy blue water, leaning out to balance as waves splash. The sky is blue with scattered clouds and distant shoreline in the background.

Level 50 Life Jackets and Dinghy Racing

A New Standard Built for Mobility Competitive dinghy sailing demands agility. Racers hike hard on the rail, scramble across cockpits during tacks and jibes, and constantly adjust their body position to keep lightweight boats balanced and moving fast. Traditional foam life jackets can sometimes restrict these movements forcing sailors to choose between comfort and safety. […]

A smiling woman in a blue life jacket stands on a boat, holding a red-and-white wakeboard, with calm water and green trees in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

Level 50 Life Jackets and Wake Sports

A New Class of Buoyancy Aids for Active Watersports Wakeboarding, waterskiing and other towed watersports demand athletic movement. Riders jump wakes, carve across the water and adjust their stance constantly. Because these sports require flexibility and balance, bulky flotation can sometimes interfere with performance. The new Level 50 standard for personal flotation devices aims to […]

A young child wearing a kid's life jacket smiles while holding onto the steering wheel of a boat, with water and greenery visible in the background.

Water Sports Foundation Video Featured on Amazon Consumer Information Page

The video “Properly Sizing Children’s Life Jackets” is part of a joint effort by the retailer and Coast Guard to counter swim vests and floaties improperly labeled as life jackets Orlando, FL April 23, 2026 – Amazon, the world’s largest retailer, in April agreed to include consumer warning information about sellers on the site inaccurately […]

Statistics, Reports & Data
Royalty-free image - A smiling young child wearing an orange life jacket is outdoors near water. Text on the image reads “2024 Recreational Boating Statistics,” published by the U.S. Coast Guard in July 2025.

Recreational Boating Statistics 2024

An annual compilation of recreational boating statistics in the United States, compiled by the U.S. Coast Guard using data supplied by the U.S. states and territories.

Recreational Boating Statistics 2023

An annual compilation of recreational boating statistics in the United States, compiled by the U.S. Coast Guard using data supplied by the U.S. states and territories.

Most Recent Images & Video

Stay Safe On Your Next Paddling Adventure

Paddling is a fun and safe activity, especially if you pay attention to these common-sense rules — always wear a life jacket, don’t paddle alone, dress for water temperature and don’t mix alcohol and paddling.

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Bargain Kayak (Remember a Life Jacket!)

If you go to the box store for paper towels and end up with a kayak, make sure you also pick up a life jacket. Because nobody wants to pull a Brad.

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Learn to Get Back On Your Kayak BEFORE You Flip

Getting back on your sit-on-top kayak isn’t that hard – if you know how. That’s why it’s a great idea to take a paddling safety class BEFORE you flip.

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