How Life Jacket Prototypes are Torture Tested

[Glenn MacGrady]

"After months of design and engineering, getting a prototype approved takes at least half a year and costs between $30,000 and $50,000 USD in certifications, according to Wagner. To be certified in both Canada and the U.S. under the new harmonized standard, PFDs are tested by Underwriters Laboratories (UL). By the time a new PFD model hits the shelves, its predecessors have been burned, soaked, overloaded and inspected in dozens of different tests."

The Brutal Science Behind Life Jacket Testing

Inside the load tests, buoyancy tanks and trial by fire required for safety certification

paddlingmag.com

 

[Alan Gage]

I guess that's why they don't come out with new models every year and tend to keep selling the same ones for years and years.

Alan

 

[yknpdlr]

After my daughter certified to work as a camp waterfront director at BSA National Camping School, the first thing she did upon arrival at her BSA camp was to inspect all of the PFDs. Those that did not pass or were marginally serviceable were cut in half with a box cutter so they would need to be replaced. We knew the camp director well and he was ok with arguing with the BSA Council to spend the money for new ones.