Wear a Lifejacket - It Never Ruined a Day on the Water

It’s a sad but true fact that 9 out of 10 people who drowned when boating were NOT wearing a lifejacket!  

With this in mind, it’s great to see the ‘Wear a lifejacket, it never ruined a day on the water’ campaign goes from strength to strength. After all, if there was ever an important campaign for water lovers and their friends and family, this is it!

The campaign is just one part of the massive undertaking by Transport for NSW to educate water sport lovers on the importance of wearing a lifejacket and to make folks understand and stick to the laws for safe and responsible boating.

While the campaign is NSW based, it is relatable for all waterways around Australia, and I’m sure other states and territories have implemented similar initiatives. Readers from further abroad are already benefiting from the information, with the campaign being adopted in New Zealand.

Here at Fishing Australia, we have been keen to embrace this campaign. Last year the team and I joined up with Neil Patchett and his colleagues from Transport for NSW to discuss the huge developments in lifejacket technology and the ‘Old4New’ program.

The meet formed an important part of a special Fishing Australia Television program we were filming at the time, and we posted the resulting clip on our opening page at www.fishingaustralia.tv

It was great to share this with our audience and it continues to be an eye opener for viewers…allow me to elaborate.

Lifejackets have evolved, gone are the days of the big bulky ”block of cheese” foam type lifejackets that made you feel like the Michelin Man.  There are now so many wonderful products to choose from and it has made wearing a lifejacket a joy rather than a chore.

Lifejackets are now slim and come in a huge variety of styles that mean you can partake in the water sport of your choice with an unrestrictive yet fully functional life jacket.  Some styles can be worn on top of either a cool summer shirt or a warm winter rain jacket, while some come actually made as a WEATHER jacket!

Amongst the huge variety of choices there are some super fashionable ones that would be right at home on a super-model, to smaller more convenient hip pouch models for the space conscious traveller, and also lifejackets complete with lots of pockets for us anglers who love our gadgets.

The one that stands out from them all is the hero model, a versatile self inflating yolk style jacket. It is easy to maintain and you can even service it yourself.

Effectively there is now no excuse for not wearing a lifejacket where required by law, and in fact many water lovers, myself included, make the lifejacket a part of the their personal ‘must take kit’ even where not required by law.  My personal lifejacket sits with my sunscreen, tackle and safety kit, ready to go when I have my chores done and dusted for the week.

Of course there are occasions where I expect the boat I’m going on has lifejackets…but with this in mind I always ask and check.  On the rare occasion in my travels I’ve found deteriorated jackets or jackets that were not where they are supposed to be!  The fact is this happens, so don’t feel embarrassed to ask to sight the required safety gear before heading out!

To further assist this vital campaign a Lifejacket Upgrade program has been launched to the public. This program makes use of the ‘Old4New’ van that visits boat ramps across NSW, to spread the word about modern, comfortable lifejackets and offering a great price for new lifejackets when you trade in your old-style models. The Old4New program has even been a hit in New Zealand thanks to the efforts of the Coastguard based in Auckland.

If you wish to find out more about the huge range of new modern lifejackets available and the ‘Old4New’ program visit www.lifejacketwearit.com.au

Remember, 9 out of 10 people who drowned when boating weren’t wearing a lifejacket, so make sure you ‘wear a lifejacket-it never ruined a day on the water’… it’s never been more comfortable and practical.

Because a great day on the water, is a safe day.

Rob Paxevanos
Host Fishing Australia Television Series