US and CA approve "Level 50" PFDs: What they are

[Glenn MacGrady]

"The U.S. Coast Guard and Transport Canada are wagering they can change bad safety habits and dangerous figures with the recent approval of a new class of PFD called Level 50."

"Level 50 jackets are performance-rated personal flotation devices that provide at least 50 newtons of buoyancy, which is around 11 pounds of flotation. For comparison, most recreational PFDs for adults are currently rated at 70 newtons or around 16 pounds worth of flotation."

"And now the rankings are standardized from a minimum newton performance to a high end in the order of: Level 50, 70, 100, 150, 275."

"While Level 50 aids were approved as acceptable flotation by the U.S. Coast Guard back in 2025, no products have been manufactured or tested yet for approval in the U.S. or Canada. However, there are Level 50 PFDs in production by brands including Mustang Survival, allowing U.S. paddlers to catch a glimpse of what these buoyancy aids look like in use."

More details and explanations, with references to the older Type I-V ratings, and recommendations as to who should wear a Level 50, are in this article:

The Coast Guard Has Approved A New Class Of Life Jackets—Here's What To Know

There’s a glaring statistic in recreational boating: According to the U.S. Coast Guard, in 87 percent of boating-related drownings in 2024, the victim

paddlingmag.com

 

[PortageW/Cerberus]

Interesting - I had looked at some 50N PFDs from Europe recently - had caught my eye due to the light weight (under one pound).

Likely not the right PFD for any moving water, but perhaps for those of us into traveling light on flatwater....

 

[Erica]

A few years ago I was looking at pfds and found a couple of 50 N, but they weren’t really for paddling. More like big heavy things to float an unconscious person, as I recall.

 

[ScottS]

A few years ago I was looking at pfds and found a couple of 50 N, but they weren’t really for paddling. More like big heavy things to float an unconscious person, as I recall.

The type 50N is not a high flotation vest - you might be thinking about a type5 rescue vest. The 50N is a low flotation vest with only 11lb of buoyancy instead of the Type3 16lb of buoyancy that most of us use. From my point of view, it is an attempt to get ignorant people to wear a PFD and I doubt that it will make any difference at all. If someone won't wear a decent type3, they're not going to wear a type50.

We've all done it, advising those beginners you happen to paddle past that they should wear their PFD only to get a major stink-eye reply. Anymore, if I say anything at all, I just tell them that their body will be easier to locate if they wear a PFD.

 

[PortageW/Cerberus]

Indeed. Low buoyancy.

The ones I was looking at were all slimmer-fit lightweight/minimalist vests for racers.

 

[Gamma1214]

...their body will be easier to locate if they wear a PFD

That's typically when I wear one. If I think there's a high(er) likelihood that conditions might be lethal.

I'm absolutely sure that the addition of level 50 vests are designed to encourage use. Personally, I'd be more inclined if the state didn't order me to do it and peer pressure didn't attempt to shame me into compliance. (I don't encourage anyone to go without or get down on them for wearing one... )