Safety campaign causes shift to PFD Yokes

"The PFD safety message has been ringing out loud and clear for a while now and we're glad that boaters are responding in their droves," said Mark Barker, managing director of RFD.

"The older-style jacket is making way for the more comfortable yoke-style of PFD. Because many boaters are now wearing their PFD all the time while on board their boat, comfort has emerged as a big factor, even where there is a slight price premium in both purchase price and service costs," he said.

Following on from the successful PFD awareness campaign headlining Australian cricket test opener Matthew Hayden and new PFD legislation in Victoria, RFD said it has seen a significant rise in sales for their inflatable yoke 11A PFD Type 1 from their line-up of Australian-approved lifejackets.

The National Marine Safety Committee began the campaign on PFD awareness in response to high numbers of boating accidents where drowning fatalities could have been avoided through the use of Type 1 PFDs.

RFD said the PFD campaign brought a renewed focus on the importance of wearing lifejackets and consequently sparked considerable interest in several of its popular lifejacket models.

Whereas the Guardian was once the mainstay of the range, RFD said sales of the inflatable yoke-style jacket now outstrip those of the Guardian.

The RFD inflatable PFD is designed for commercial and recreational use, is made from nylon coated neoprene and fire retardant valise. Featuring retro-reflective tape and automatic strobe light, the yoke design of the inflatable PFD allows maximum movement while inflation can be either manual or automatic activation.

For more info, phone (03) 9532 1822 or visit www.rfd.com.au