Why you should update your life jackets

But in a lot of cases, life jackets are more of an afterthought, stuffed away in the forepeak or a locker until the skipper has to grudgingly drag them out to cross a bar. 

By law, it’s the skipper's responsibility to have working life jackets for everyone on board the boat.

If they’re used rarely, it’s easy to neglect what will become one of the most vital pieces of safety equipment should you unexpectedly end up in the water.

Key to keeping life jackets in good order is regular servicing and maintenance. But how long should you wait before replacing a life jacket?

There are no expiry dates on life jackets, although a 10-year maximum lifespan seems to be a rule of thumb. But even so, you will need to keep a constant check on the condition of life jackets, particularly inflatable ones, to ensure they remain in tip-top condition. 

How often? Every life jacket should be checked before each use.

Brenden Dines, from Life Jacket Solutions/JM Gillies, said regular inspections and maintenance, particularly for self-inflating life jackets, would help to prolong their serviceable life.

Another important consideration is that life jacket standards have changed in the last few years so that if you do ever find yourself without a boat beneath your feet, you have a much better chance of survival.  

It's therefore important to be buying life jackets that are made to the latest standard.

This is because the new benchmark introduced, Australian Standard AS4758, has changed the amount of buoyancy that a life jacket must provide to keep its wearer’s head up and out of the water.

The latest standard has been tested for rollover. If its wearer is face-down in the water, life jackets that comply with this standard can roll the person over into a safe position with their head above the water.

The standard is regularly updated to help users while in the water and in emergencies.

Using a life jacket made to a different, older standard won’t get you in trouble with marine safety authorities, but if you can’t show that you’ve maintained and serviced them properly, you could cop an infringement notice.

However, when it comes to replacing older life jackets, it’s important to buy one that suits your boating needs rather than just look at the price tag.

“There are foam and inflatable life jackets on the market now that range from $20 to $200,” Dines said. 

“People spend a lot of money on fishing gear, but when it comes down to it, a fishing rod is not going to save you out on the water while a good-quality life jacket will.”

If your life jacket has Australian Standards number "AS 4758.1" printed somewhere on its label, it complies with the current standard. The life jacket will also have Level 50, Level 50S,  Level 100 or Level 150 printed on it. Click here to see what these different levels mean.

The latest standard for life jackets, AS 4758.1, was introduced in 2008. Older jackets with Australian Standards numbers AS1512, AS1499 or AS2260 cannot be used any longer in most Australian states.

If your life jacket has any of these numbers, consider replacing it as soon as practically possible with a jacket that meets the new standard.

Remarkably, marine safety authorities recently released a warning that too many decades-old life jackets stuffed with kopak – a natural fibre that becomes a sponge as it ages, losing all ability to remain buoyant – were still in use and should be replaced as soon as possible.