Lifejackets, Automatic + Manual

Gas inflation Lifejackets, Automatic and Manual are the most common form of lifejackets used for power boating and sailing. This is due to their low bulk when being worn and then the almost instant inflation when activated provided floatation as well as protecting the wearers airways.

Automatic Lifejackets like the Crewsaver Fusion 3D range are the most popular lifejackets for all boating and sailing activities. These lifejackets automatically inflate if/when the wearer “hits the water” regardless of the actions or inactions of the wearer. Ultimately this is paramount for safety as in a real incident nobody is as aware as they would like to be and could be in shock or even semi conscious and the lifejacket automatically performing is the best result. One common misconception is that an automatic lifejacket might activate accidentally in the rain, these automatic firing heads are used in cross ocean sailing where sailors get very wet and they do not regularly activate, so rain etc is unlikely to cause an issue with a well maintained lifejacket.

Manual Lifejackets do also have a place and are really popular with fishermen for example. When wading into the water the jacket may get immersed intentionally, and obviously the wearer would not want the lifejacket activating as above. However if that person was wading and lost their footing they would probably be sufficiently aware to manually activate the lifejacket. We do not recommend manual lifejackets for sailing or boating.