life jacket

Everything You Need to Know About the New Level 50 Life Jackets

What They Are, Who They’re For, and When to Use Them Personal flotation devices (PFDs) have come a long way from the orange horseshoe life jackets of yesteryear. Life-saving buoyancy aids of all types have steadily grown more comfortable, specialized and effective. The latest evolution is the Level 50 standard, a new classification of U.S. […]

An adult in a red jacket, both wearing level 50 life jackets for kayaking, stands on a paddleboard with a child sitting in front on a calm lake, surrounded by dense green pine trees reflecting on the water.

Level 50 Life Jackets For Standup Paddleboarding

New PFDs Built for Balance and Mobility Standup paddleboarding demands balance, agility and freedom of movement. Whether paddlers are cruising a quiet harbor, exploring a mangrove shoreline or practicing fitness paddling on a lake, SUP riders constantly shift their stance and use their torsos for strong paddle strokes. Traditional life jackets can inhibit the freedom […]

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 […]

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.

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.

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.

Don’t Forget the Leash and Lifejacket

You can pick up a new SUP anywhere these days, but you can’t buy common sense. Always remember to wear your life jacket and leash when you paddle your standup paddleboard. And if your honey asked you to get TP at the Big Box, don’t forget that either.

The USNWSAP Has Officially Launched

We are very excited to announce the launch of the inaugural U.S. National Water Safety Action Plan! The USNWSAP provides a national roadmap for collective action to reduce drowning in the United States and aims to unite the water safety community to help put an end to preventable drowning tragedies nationwide. The launch of the […]

Choosing Life Jackets for Kids

Five things to look for in life jackets for kids. By now, most boaters should be familiar with the statistics. Life jackets save lives, but only if you wear them. Fortunately, today’s offerings are more comfortable than ever. While most adults can easily find a life jacket that does the job, selecting a kid’s jacket […]

Boating Safety Tips for Fall Boating

Annapolis, Md., Sept. 07, 2022 – Fall boating season has arrived, and with it come different types of risks that cold water and air temperatures bring. Here are three boating safety tips from the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water just right for leaf peeping season. A float plan is needed: A float […]

WSF’s Jim Emmons Talks Boating Safety With The Weather Channel

Water Sports Foundation Executive Director Jim Emmons is interviewed by The Weather Channel

Sea Tow Foundation Offers Free Resource Kit for National Safe Boating Week

Southold, NY, April 25, 2022 – In an effort to maximize the potential for positive boating safety messaging prior to the busy boating season, the Sea Tow Foundation has created a National Safe Boating Week Resource Kit available free of charge to marine industry stakeholders. The kit offers instructions on how to share a wealth […]

10 Important Tips from the Water Sports Foundation to Keep Boaters Safe this Busy 2022 Boating Season

– Memorial Day is the Traditional Launch to Seasonal Boating Activity – Orlando, Fla, May 4, 2022 – With a 35% increase in new boat ownership and 415,000 new boaters taking to the waterways since 2020, boating participation will reach historic levels of participation this summer, says Water Sports Foundation Executive Director Jim Emmons. With […]

Top 10 Boating Safety Tips for the Busy 2022 Season

With a 35% increase in new boat ownership and 415,000 new boaters taking to the waterways since 2020, boating participation will reach historic levels of participation this summer, says Water Sports Foundation Executive Director Jim Emmons. With the Memorial Day holiday traditionally serving as the kick-off to summer boating activity, Emmons says the Water Sports […]

Surge in Paddlesports Accidents Likely Due to Lack of Safety Training

A record 37.9 million participants engaged in paddlesports like kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding during the pandemic according to the latest data (2020) from the Outdoor Foundation. This pandemic surge brought an estimated 2.5 million new paddlers to American waterways. However, it increased accidents to 331 and fatalities to a record high 202 – accounting […]