www.iFourWinns.com

So I'm curious about something and rather than hijack the other life jacket thread I figured it would be better to start a new. The question is....do you mandate kids wear life jackets on your boat at all times? And if so, at around what age does that mandate go away?

I know the politically correct answer is kids ALWAYS wear them on the boat. And for a short time, that was policy on our boat but then reality set in and now the mandate to wear them is based on a variety of factors that loosely fall as listed below....

toddlers - ALWAYS - typically on before they get to the dock
can't swim - ALWAYS while underway, parent's choice on the dock and hook
young but strong swimmers - depends on conditions, kid to adult ratio, boat speed (slow vs. cruise) and location
Teens - up to them unless conditions are really bad then everybody puts them on regardless of age
kids in water swimming from the boat - ALWAYS (don't know the age cut off yet as ours haven't reached teen years)

When we first got into boating the kids were very young and didn't swim. Vests were on at the car and came off when we got back to the car. As they got older and we moved to a bigger boat, things changed and we're not as strict. A simple look at the boats in the area tells me that most parents don't seem very strict in life jacket wear....not trying to justify what we do, just stating the reality of what I see every time we go out.

So now that I've opened myself up to being blasted for not always mandating all kids wear life jackets at all times, I'm curious as to what the reality is for those of you with kids or with the kids of your boating guests.

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'01 Vista 298

Your guidelines sound close to what I believe.

Our state law is kids upto age 12 must wear while on board, unless in cabin.
Both of our kids grew up as infants on the boat, wearing a jacket was never an issue, they wore jackets along with swim suit. In fact, could never get our boy to ever take life jacket off, he liked them for whatever reason.

Me, I hate them and only wear them to be compliant with laws. Back when I was a kid, they were an option, and remember the small flotation belts?? Those were stylish, huh!?!?

Now our kids are older and we all were jackets when riding the jet skis, that about it.

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2000 248 5.7L DP
'92, '94 SXI 750, '08 STX 15F, '12 Ultra LX 300
Videos

mandatory for my 11 yr old; "basically" mandatory for my 14 yr old daughter when we are cruising. There's a sign at Dale Hollow Lake which reads something like this:

Deaths on this lake due to drowning: 123
Drowning victims who were wearing life jackets: 0

It's enough to scare my kids.

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State law is under 13 must wear one.

My law is I explain it to the parents and if they will pay the ticket the kids can do whatever the parent wants.

Anyone over 13.....Their choice.

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'90 Horizon 220 5.8

We tend to boat with our kids and their friends a lot, I just tell them all to wear life jackets when we're out and underway. I don't want to be as responsible if something goes wrong and their friends don't have their jackets on. I just go better safe then sorry, but I deal with liability stuff all the time so I'm slightly paranoid about it.

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2007 Four Winns 190 Horizon Merc 4.3 MPI

Our boat on Crescent Lake in Oregon

State law in Iowa is 14 & under must wear life jackets while underway. We make our kids, 11 & 12, where them at all times they are in the water and the boat is underway. We spend a lot of time on the Mississippi where the currents can be fast and unpredictable, so we are pretty strict about kids wearing life jackets in the water. If lounging on the beach or on the boat while floating, we allow them to take them off. My wife and I are still debating on what to do when they turn 15. My son, the younger of the two, is part fish and I don't worry too much about his ability to swim. My daughter on the other hand, I used to tell people that her Indian name would be, "Sinks Like a Rock". The good thing is she is pretty sensible for her age, and at this point I would imagine she will want to continue to wear her life jacket after she turns 15. Granted, she is coming into that age where sensibility starts to diminish rapidly. The good news is I've got a few years to monitor the situation and make a more informed decision when the time comes.

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2005 FW Horizon 250
8.1L VP DP

Maryland law is as follows:

Effective April 1, 2010, Maryland law states that all children under the age of 13 must WEAR a United States Coast Guard approved Personal Flotation Device (life jacket - Type I, II, III or V) while underway on a recreational vessel under 21 feet in length on Maryland waters.

Our first boat was 24 feet and the current boat is bigger so we've never fallen under any life jacket laws with kids. It's just been what we, as parents, feel is right for the situation.

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'01 Vista 298

When we have any kids on board they must wear one when underway. When below it's optional. When anchored it's likewise optional, but then they're usually wearing some sort of swimming assistance floats (water wings, vest, belt, etc).

We've also had our 3yo take swim lessons through http://www.infantswim.com and have been very pleased at the results. Basically it teaches a child how to get back to the surface and float. Which is important given the murky waters of the Bay. We started him at 9 months and have refreshed each Spring since. He's now up to swim-float-swim, which teaches how to alternate between floating and taking some strokes and kicks toward the side of the pool.

I recently witnessed a friend's child accidentally fall in at a neighbor's pool (sitting on the side, kicking and splashing). The poor kid looked like she was paralyzed as she sank like a stone, and did nothing about it. Her Dad was in like a shot and fished her out, no worse for the experience. But it was telling watching (for all of probably 3 seconds) her just SINK. It was dramatically different than how our child and others that have taken the class deal with it. They immediately start swimming back up to the surface.

So even with PFDs there's still a lot to be said for getting a child some lessons on how to handle being in the water. I strongly encourage all parents to get lessons for their children. And the great thing about infantswim is they do the teaching, you don't have to get in the water (and deal with the stress).

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Same as above, under 12 mandatory. My boat, under 18 mandatory! period, dot, end of story.

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-Tony
2016 Robalo R200 w/Yahama 200!

Previous boats:
2003 Four Winns 248 Vista - sold
1994 Sunbird Corsair 200 - sold
1980 Checkmate Predictor - sold

No, not for my 9 and 12 year old under normal conditions. Running 3 foot waves on the big lake, yes. If they have friends aboard and I'm uncertain of their swimming ability then yes, including my kids (to be fair). Also, when swimming in the middle of the lake or jumping off the boat I have them wear life jackets so I can relax and enjoy it instead of doing the constant head count.

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2009 Four Winns SL 242
Searching for that "One Particular Harbor."

Michigan law is that anyone 12 and under must have them on while underway. It also states that 5 and under must have a vest with a head float support. Our kids being 4 and 2 @2 have them on at all times until their feet hit the beach...then we take them off.

In Texas, 13 and younger are required and that is the rule for MY family while under way. If anchored, I let me 12 year old swim without one but my 7 year old is required at all times in the water. She can only take it off to lay down or eat. We dont frequently bring guests on our boat, but do require they follow the law as well. If our guest have kids, I let them dictate what they do, other than they must wear one if 13 or younger.

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Current Boat:
2004 Sea Ray 320 Sundancer "Nauti Luvin'"

Previous Boats:
1999 298 Vista "Seas The Day"
2008 H200SS "Nauti Luv"
2006 Tahoe Q4

Not to be a pessimist, but in a bow rider that's perhaps a bad idea.

There was a pre-teen girl get killed last season up on the Sassafras River. Riding along in the family bow rider when it caught an unexpected wave. Hit her head, popped up, fell over and sank like a stone. A life jacket would have made it possible to fish her out quickly and likely would have saved her life. Instead the DNR police had to find her with a grappling hook and divers.

It's just bad practice to assume things are always going to be smooth and safe. Even when you see the wake there's still the chance that a child won't be paying attention and end up falling over because of it.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Not true Dogg....law is 6 and under. They are considering changing it to 12.

All boats and boating conditions are different so I understand the argument that kids should wear pfd's at all times...but for me I am totally comfortable under normal conditions letting my kids not wear them all day.

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2009 Four Winns SL 242
Searching for that "One Particular Harbor."

Jeff...per the handbook you are right. Per the Sheriff that pulled me over it is 12. I can see this being a real issue if our law enforcement people do not know the current law.