Department of Transport

Life jackets

Life jackets – who must carry them?

Vessels operating in unprotected waters (outside the waters contained by any breakwater or in any lake, river or estuary other than the waters of Cambridge Gulf or Lake Argyle) must carry an approved life jacket for each person on board. Each life jacket must suit the weight of the person for whom it is intended, be maintained in good condition and kept in an easily accessible place.

Types of life jackets

  • Life jackets and other buoyancy garments are called PFDs – personal flotation devices.
  • Only the PFD Type 1 is acceptable as a life jacket – Types 2 and 3 are buoyancy vests and are intended for sports such as sailing and water skiing.
  • You will recognise a Type 1 by its orange or yellow colour, flotation collar, and reflective tape.
  • Type 1 life jackets are bulkier and are designed to keep the body afloat for long periods of time.
  • Self inflatable PFD Type 1 Jackets are considerably less bulky than the traditional style of jacket.
  • All PFD Type 1 jackets must display a label with the Australian Standards brand and the number AS 1512.

There are three types of lifejackets or Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs)

  • PFD Type 1 (AS1512) This type of lifejacket is required on all boats operating in unprotected waters and is your primary life support device if your boat sinks. They make it very easy to keep your head above water. PFD Type 1 features a buoyancy collar and is designed to keep you in a safe floating position, i.e. with the body inclined back from the vertical, with nose and mouth clear of the water.
  • PFD Type 2 (AS1499) A PFD Type 2 has less buoyancy than a PFD Type 1 and does not have a collar. It is easy to swim in and is designed for continuous wear during any aquatic activity. A PFD Type 2 is also known as a buoyancy vest.
  • PFD Type 3 (AS2260) This garment comes in a range of styles and colours, and is an alternative to a PFD Type 2. The PFD Type 3 has a similar buoyancy to that of a Type 2, but is manufactured in a wider range of colours than the high visibility safety colours stipulated for Types 1 and 2. A PFD Type 3 is also commonly known as a buoyancy garment.

PFD Types 2 and 3 are less bulky than Type 1, and are generally used by board sailors, waterskiers, PWC operators, canoeists and so on.

PFD Type 1

PFD Type 2

PFD Type 3

PFD Type 1

PFD Type 2

PFD Type 3

Personal flotation device standard

Standards Australia has introduced Australian Standard 4758, for personal flotation devices. From 1 February 2010 personal flotation devices made under this standard will be accepted for use in Western Australia as part of your safety equipment requirement.

Australian Standard 4758 has a rating system for personal flotation devices.

How the standard compares with older types:

Older types Comparison to standard AS 4758
Coastal lifejacket Level 275
Level 150
PFD type 1 Level 275
Level 150
Level 100
PFD type 2 Level 50
PFD type 3 Level 50 special purpose

Personal flotation devices made to the standards Australian Standards 1512, Australian Standard 1499 and Australian Standard 2260 are still acceptable for use as long as they are in good condition. You do not have to upgrade your current personal flotation device.

Do you need to upgrade?

No. Personal flotation devices made to the old standards will be acceptable for use into the foreseeable future. If you purchase a jacket made to an old standard now and look after it, you can expect many years of service. A date may be set for eventual retirement of the old standards.

More information is available on the National Marine Safety Committee (NMSC) website.

When to wear life jackets

PFDs are a key safety feature in recreational boating. An National Marine Safety Committee (NMSC) study* found that people who survived a boating incident were more than two times more likely to have been wearing a PFD compared to those who died and concluded that if PFD usage increased to 50%, 2-3 lives could be saved nationally each year. Besides wearing them in emergencies, you also enhance safety if you wear life jackets in the following circumstances:

  • at the first sign of bad weather;
  • between sunset and sunrise or during restricted visibility;
  • when operating in unfamiliar waters;
  • when operating with a following sea;
  • when boating alone (this is especially recommended);
  • at all times on children under 10 years; or
  • if you are a poor swimmer.

Practise putting them on in the dark and in the water – it is harder than you think!

Choosing a life jacket

Size and weight

Infants: because of the varying weight distribution of babies it is difficult to put flotation in the right places; children less than about a year old cannot be adequately catered for and should not go afloat.
For older children, there are three main things to look for:

  • the weight range on the life jacket's label agrees with the child's weight;
  • the life jacket is a snug fit (loose life jackets work poorly); and
  • the child is comfortable while wearing it.

For adults, too, a snug fit is important. As for comfort:

  • generally the less money you pay, the more uncomfortable the life jacket.

Maintaining life jackets

You should check the condition of your life jackets periodically. Check for cuts and tears that could let water enter the jacket and rot the buoyant material. Check that the tabs are in good condition and not frayed.

If you have inflatable life jackets, the manufacturers will specify intervals when you should return them for servicing.

Other approved Life Jackets - as of 1 May 2006

The life jacket you choose for use in unprotected waters must bear the Australian Standard 1512, PFD Type 1 or appear on the list below to be recognised under the regulations.

Manufacturer Country Name of Life jacket Type Expiry
AMI Sales (AMSA Site Section 10) Australia Regatta Adult Life jacket Inherently Buoyant May-07
Safety Marine Australia (AMSA Site Section 10) Australia SMA 8 Coastal life jacket Inherently Buoyant Dec-07
Safety Marine Australia (AMSA Site Section 10) Australia SMA89 - Roaring Forties -SOLAS Foam Filled Jun-09
AMI Sales (AMSA Site Section 10) Australia EVAL SOLAS Life jacket -Adult & Childs Foam Filled Jun-09
Aspill Safety Ltd UK Golf twin Inflatable
BFA Germany BFA 399 / 275 Inflatable
Canapa & CampiSri Italy Bora A-R Inherently Buoyant
COSALT Safety & Protection UK

COSALT Adult Premier
COSALT Premier Adult
COSALT Premier Child

Inherently Buoyant
Crewsaver Marine Equipment UK Seafire 275 Newton Inflatable
EUROSAFETY Ltd UK Creda MkII
WESSEX SOLAS 		Inherently Buoyant
Formula SNC di Maroni Sargio & Co Italy Corallo Inherently Buoyant
Greben Shipyard Croatia A XIII Child life jacket
A5 Adult life jacket 		Inherently Buoyant
International Safety Products Ltd UK Challenger HP 70
Challenger Hydrosafe
Challenger Interlock 275
Challenger Offshore 150N 		Inflatable
Lallzas Hellas Greece YS 011 YS200 Inherently Buoyant
Mullion Manufacturing Ltd UK Mullion MSA/SOLAS 150N
Mullion MSA/SOLAS 275N 		Inflatable
Mullion Manufacturing Ltd  UK Thermal Protective life jacket Inherently Buoyant
Mustang Survival Inc USA Mustang SOLAS life jacket (MD8000) Adult
Mustang SOLAS life jacket (MD8005) Child 		Inflatable
N Nicolai $ C Sas Italy Albatross
Albatross Uno
Pisani
Pisani Junior 		Inherently Buoyant
Osculati SpA Italy Oceano
Oceano 2
Oceano 3
Survival (Adult)
Survival (Junior)
World Life 1
World Life 2
World Life 3 		Inherently Buoyant
Owen Life Guard Gears Co Ltd Taiwan AJ-1
AR-1 		Inherently Buoyant
Pains-Wessex Safety Systems Ltd UK LJ2 Inherently Buoyant
Paul Merten GrnbH & Co KG Germany Seepilz Kadematic 15BG
Seepilz Kadematic SOLAS 15
Seepilz W 3000 Adult
Seepilz W 3000 Child
Seepilz W 5000 132 N 		Inflatable
Plasticel SA Spain Panama 1 Inherently Buoyant
Remploy Ltd UK Falcon 275
TSD HB23 		Inflatable
Secumar Bernhardt Apparatebau GmbH & Co Germany 15 KSL/30 KSL
Golf 150/275 Twin SOLAS
Secumar 16L
Secumar Ferry 		Inflatable
Stearns Inc USA Ocean Mate (1110/1111) Inherently Buoyant
Valera San Giorgio Marldionale Srl Italy ART, 1000 Aquavel Mk2
ART, 1001 Aquavel Mk2 Baby
ART, 1005 Aquavel Mk3
ART, 1006 Aquavel Mk3 Baby
ART, 1010 Rio
ART, 1010 Rio Baby
Della Adult
Della Junior
Europa (Adult)
Marinella (Adult)
Moira A/R
Moira J 		Inherently Buoyant
Valera San Giorgio Marldionale Srl Italy ART, 2000 Tornado
ART, 2000 Tornado Pocket 		Inflatable
Viking Life Saving Equipment AS Denmark Viking 1 M9308 SOLAS
Viking 275 SOLAS
Viking Jr M9311 SOLAS
Viking M9310 SOLAS 		Inflatable
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