Just a friendly reminder to give your safety gear it’s annual inspection
Concerning your inflatable PFD, first and foremost is to check the visual green/red indicator. Make sure you’re in the green, and up to date as well.
Most inflatable PFD’s recommend you change the CO2 cylinder and activator every two years. The Mustang HIT is good for 5. There is an inspection tag on the inside to help you keep track.
I also highly recommend you open your vest up and manually inflate it WITH YOUR MOUTH. It’s an easy test to make certain that the bladder hasn’t been compromised.
It’s also a great way to familiarize yourself with your equipment.
To deflate, simply reverse the dust cap and push it into the mouth tube. It works just like a tire valve stem. To get the last bit of air out, depress the tip of your pinky into the tube and vacuum the rest of the air out by inhaling. Zip it or Velcro it back together, and make sure the yellow jerk cord handle is exposed and not tucked inside.
Also check your fire extinguisher, expiration date on flares, change batteries in any equipment-such as a handheld radio or strobe light. Do you carry a whistle? If not, you should. If you have an EPIRB, use the test function to make sure it’s working.
It’s one thing to have proper safety equipment, but knowing how to use it and making sure it’s functional is just as important. It only takes a few minutes each year to inspect and familiarize yourself.
Good luck and be safe this year!
Make the commitment to wear your inflatable 100% of the time. If I can to it, anybody can.
This year I’m going to pick up a couple more and make it MANDATORY that my passengers wear one. If they don’t want to wear it, THEY WILL STAY AT THE DOCK. About half of my buddies already have and wear their own, so it won’t be a hard rule to enforce.
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