Guest post by Kristy Harcourt
National Lifejacket Day – did you even know there was such a thing? Just before the May long weekend every year, the Canadian Red Cross works to raise awareness about the importance of wearing lifejackets. Each year, my colleagues and I wear lifejackets to work for the day to prompt conversations about drowning prevention. But being wide and busty, the ones I used to wear sat too high and barely closed.
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Until recently, the truth is I hated lifejackets. I grew up near a lake, am a decent swimmer, love to canoe and be on the water but often felt like a poorly made sausage in whatever lifejacket I could find to fit my plus-size body. There were times when I chose not to go boating because I felt self-conscious about not having a PFD (personal flotation device) that fit me well.
Last year, it suddenly dawned on me that lifejackets are not only found in dusty sheds and soggy boats. Stores sell them! I went to Canadian Tire and Mountain Equipment Co-op. At MEC, I found a great style in several colours. The gold colour I chose is quite visible. It has nice pockets and is very comfortable for paddling. These days, many other companies sell similar designs.
Before: Orange is just not my colour!
Adults often insist that children wear lifejackets but decline to wear them, too. I think the reasons vary. Some of us feel silly in them. Others might find a poorly fitting PFD uncomfortable. I want to use this post to remind fellow grownups that if you have a collision in a boat, you may not have time or the ability (think collision plus head injury) to locate and put on your PFD. On average, there are 166 boating-related fatalities each year in Canada. In 24 per cent of those deaths, lifejackets are present on board but not worn.
![lifejacket2dc.jpg lifejacket2dc.jpg](/getattachment/blog/2015/5/Learning-To-Love-My-Lifejacket/lifejacket2dc.jpg.aspx;.pdf;?width=200&height=286)
So, happy
National Lifejacket Day! It would be great if you also wanted to share fun photos of yourself, friends and family wearing lifejackets. We’re using hashtag #lifejacketliving on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Show us those old styles (for Throwback Thursday #TBT) and new ones, too. And have a great long weekend. But be safe. Take care of yourselves. For more information, including the lifejacket’s history, check out:
http://canadian.redcross.ca/lifejackets/
Kristy Harcourt is an Alberta training coordinator for the Canadian Red Cross