There is no single piece of safety equipment more important on any boat or board than your PFD – Personal Floatation Device. Also known as a Life Jacket or Buoyancy Aid, PFDs aren’t just required by law in most places – they can save your life.
Warning: Having been around several drowning deaths myself, including a child, I don’t take kindly to paddlers who are anti-PFD, and I don’t pull punches on this topic.
TL;DR – Don’t die. Wear a PFD while paddling regardless of your skill or comfort. There are PFDs designed specifically for paddling, including inflatable belt pack devices that are virtually unnoticeable when worn.
Paddleboarders should wear for a Type III/70N PFD designed for paddling or an inflatable belt pack PFD when appropriate.
Life Jacket Terminology
Depending on where you are and where you are from there may be different names to refer to personal flotation devices. Some regions make a distinction between terms, so it can get confusing.
PFD or Personal Flotation Device will be an all-encompassing term used to describe devices that are designed and certified to keep you afloat when worn. This includes all types of certified devices whether they are designed for recreational paddling, sailing, or open ocean survival. They are often referred interchangeably as either PFDs or life jackets by the average user.
Buoyancy Aid vs Life Jacket vs Swim Aid In some regions the (capital) terms Buoyancy Aid and Life Jacket are differentiated. In these cases Life Jackets are larger devices that are designed in such a way to automatically turn an unconscious swimmer from floating face down to floating face up in most conditions. Some Buoyancy Aids may be able to do this, but they are not designed specifically for this task. Life Jackets will have higher amounts of flotation than Buoyancy Aids, but will not be designed in a way to be conducive to paddling. Swim Aids are low-flotation devices that are not certified as safety equipment. Because of the confusion this terminology and because of the limitations of certain types of devices for Stand Up Paddleboarding, we will only be using the term PFD.
Life Jackets Don’t Work If You Don’t Wear Them.
PFDs are like seat belts. By the time you know you need one, it’s too late to put it on.
Over 80% of boating fatalities have “No/Not Wearing PFD” as the primary contributing cause to drowning.
It doesn’t matter how good of a swimmer you are, or how nice the weather is, the water will always win. Most drowning victims are described as being comfortable in the water or as competent swimmers.
Complacency Kills. Wear your PFD.
“But it’s hot outside!” OK, let me tell you about this thing called water. It’s going to cool you down. Actually, it’s going to cool you down 25x faster than air alone. It is so incredibly easy to cool yourself off while paddling. All you have to do is splash yourself with some water, or hop in for a quick dip.
“But my tan lines!“ Your perfect tan is going to be way worse on a bloated corpse. There are many low-profile inflatable PFDs that are worn around your waist and won’t interfere with most of your tanning. Also, skin cancer is the most common cancer in the US and is mostly avoidable, y’all should be wearing quality sunscreen anyway.
“But I’m a good swimmer!” That’s a great skill to have. It isn’t going to help in an emergency. One ill-timed gasp during an accidental fall, or a fall into cold water, one injury, or one equipment failure can make all of your swimming ability as useful as a lead brick.
“But PFD’s make it hard to paddle!“ No they don’t. PFDs come in many shapes and sizes, and are made for specific purposes. A well-fit PFD that is made for paddling does not interfere with your paddling ability.
“But I’ve got one on my board!“ Just like your swimming ability, having a PFD on your board is almost as bad as not having one at all. When will you decide you need to put it on? What are those conditions? Have you tried putting on a PFD when you are in the water and exhausted and/or when partially incapacitated from injury or cold? Do you know how to put on a PFD in the water (it’s not the same as out of the water)? What if you are separated from your board?
“But I’m wearing a leash!“ Leashes are certainly helpful, but they are not regulated safety equipment. They are often not even given a thought when purchasing a board other than “what’s the cheapest one I can get.” When was the last time you properly cleaned and inspected your leash? What about the shoestring that holds it to the board?
“But surfers don’t wear them!” Honestly, they should. Surfers will complain that an inherently buoyant PFD makes it hard to prone paddle and duck dive through waves. I get that. That’s why there are inflatable devices. SUP Surfers don’t prone paddle and don’t duck dive through waves. It’s far easier for a SUP surfer to get out past the break.
In all of my years of paddling education I’ve only ever heard excuses (like those above) as to why someone doesn’t want to wear a PFD. I’ve never heard or encountered a reason, or been given an example where not wearing a PFD while paddling is safer than wearing one.
“In that case why don’t you wear a PFD on a cruise ship or wear a helmet all day…” This is a combination of the Strawman and Slippery Slope logical fallacies and won’t be entertained. Like I said, I don’t pull punches when it comes to this topic.
Types of PFDs and Life Jackets
Like with PFD terminology, different regions have different types and classifications of PFDs. There are two main systems I’ll touch on.
USCG PFD Types
This system is slowly being phased out in favor of the Canadian/EU system, but is still relevant today.
Type I PFD – Inherently buoyant (foam), 22lbs or more of floatation, intended for offshore use, will right an unconscious swimmer in most situations. They are bulky and uncomfortable to wear for paddling, nor are they intended for it. AKA “Life Jacket”
Type II PFD – Inherently buoyant (foam), 15.5lbs or more of flotation, intended for inshore use, will right an unconscious swimmer in some situations. They are bulky and uncomfortable to wear for paddling, but at cheap. These are the classic horseshoe-shape PFD that many people are familiar with from summer camps, etc. There are Type V Inflatables that function as Type II PFDs when worn properly, though they must provide 34lbs of flotation when inflated.
Type III PFD – Inherently buoyant (foam), 15.5lbs or more of flotation, intended for inshore use where rescue is nearby, designed for specific activities (sailing, paddling, skiing, etc.), and are not necessarily designed to right an unconscious swimmer. These devices can range in price from very cheap to very expensive, come in a large variety of sizes and shapes, and are ideal for their designated activity, like paddling. There are Type V Inflatables that function as Type III PFDs when worn properly, though they must provide 22lbs of flotation when inflated.
Type IV PFD – Inherently buoyant (foam), 15.5lbs or more of flotation, throwable device (not intended to be worn). Must be immediately accessible (stored in a compartment is not considered immediately accessible).
Type V PFD – Inherently buoyant (foam), or inflatable PFD designed for specialty use. These can be anything from inflatable belt packs to full-blown deep ocean survival suits.
Canadian/EU PFD Types
Canada and the EU use the terms “PFD” and “Life Jacket” distinctly in their official requirements.
Safety Of Life At Sea (SOLAS) devices in Canada or 275N Life Jacket in the EU – very similar to USCG Type I devices. High Flotation devices required on commercial craft, but acceptable on all craft, designed to right an unconscious swimmer / for harsh conditions. Essentially the same as to USCG Type I
“Standard Type” Life Jacket (Canada) or 150N Life Jacket in the EU – Very similar to USCG Type II devices. Medium to high flotation, designed to potentially right an unconscious swimmer. Intended for inshore use.
“Small Vessel” Life Jacket (Canada) or 100N Life Jacket in the EU – These are devices that fall between USCG Type II and Type III PFDs. Smaller with less flotation than Standard Type/150N Life Jackets, but with a design that may right an unconscious swimmer. Intended for inshore use.
“Personal Flotation Device” (Canada) or 50N Buoyancy Aid/Swimming Aid. These devices are closer to USCG Type III PFDs, except the 50N devices (specifically) do not have adequate flotation to meet Transport Canada/USCG requirements as a PFD. There are 70N devices that do meet these requirements.
Swim Aids and Rest Tubes
Swim aids and rest tubes are low-floatation devices designed to aid swimmers while swimming in near-shore, supervised activity. These devices are often towed behind the swimmer and are not designed to be worn specifically. These are not PFDs or Life Jackets. They do not meet the legal requirements.
Legal Requirements
In the US and Canada it is required for all paddlers to have an appropriate, approved, and in good-condition, PFD for each person on any vessel, including SUPs. It’s also required to have a sound-producing device that can be heard for at least 1/2 mile. The bare minimum requirement is to have these on board. But, as pointed out at the beginning, PFDs are like seat belts, by the time you know you need one it’s too late to put it on. Children under 13 years old in the US are required to wear a PFD at all times while on a non-commercial vessel (including SUPs). There are some states and localities where adults are also required to wear PFDs at all times while paddling. The EU does not have a single set of regulations regarding PFD use, it is up to the individual country.
In the US there are some special carve outs in the laws regarding when you must have a PFD with you. However, none of these directly applies to SUP. SUP Surfers are granted the same leeway by the law as prone surfers, but without the actual needs to not wear a PFD.