PFD (Personal Flotation Device)

A life jacket or buoyant vest meeting U.S. Coast Guard standards; all states require an adequate number of wearable PFDs for each person on board.

USCG classifications (Type I, II, III, IV, V) denoting different flotation devices for different ...

A dangerous drop in body temperature from prolonged cold-water immersion; boater education covers...

Certain states require children under a specific age to wear a PFD at all times while on a boat’s...

A discipline requiring balance and use of a paddle; boater education in some states includes wear...

Placing too many passengers or too much weight on board, risking capsizing or swamping; boater ed...

Entering the water to snorkel near reefs or sandbars; boater education covers safe anchoring, div...

Procedures for retrieving a person who has fallen off a boat (e.g., the “figure 8” method, throwi...

Mandatory and recommended gear for boats, including PFDs, fire extinguishers, visual distress sig...

A USCG-approved device used to extinguish fires on board, often required for vessels with enclose...

Techniques and equipment (e.g., wearing a PFD, using a whistle) for safe paddling in rivers, lake...

The initial gasp reflex and potential cardiac issues when suddenly immersed in cold water; separa...

Proper sizing and adjustment of PFDs, crucial to ensuring they function effectively during emerge...

A situation where someone falls off the vessel into the water; boater education covers the correc...