The decision on whether or not to fit a prop guard is a personal one and one that should be made only once a full appraisal of the pros and cons of prop guards has been carried out.
To protect the propeller and gear box from damage in the event of a prop striking a rock or other hard object.
To protect a person in the event they come into contact with a moving propeller.
Some prop guards are designed with both purposes in mind whilst others are specifically designed for one or the other. There is very little data available as to the effectiveness of prop guards in achieving either of their intended objectives. This is not to say they are not effective, simply that there is little or no evidence to support an objective analysis. On this basis, the best one can do is to assess the facts and make a decision based on the information that is available.
Personal floatation devices come in two main forms buoyancy aids and life-jackets. Worn correctly a personal flotation device could save your life.
A buoyancy aid is designed to keep someone afloat. It allows the wearer full movement whilst an active sporting activity is carried out. However if unconscious, the wearer’s head could be face down in the water.
A life-jacket has a buoyancy distribution designed to turn the user to a position where their mouth is clear of the water, even when they are unconscious. Life-jackets come in different styles and sizes and some will work better for different body styles than others.
Making the decision about wearing personal buoyancy is generally based upon factors such as weather conditions and the experience of the crew, however if you are a beginner or still relatively inexperienced, making these judgements is often not that easy. Therefore in order to help clarify when a life-jacket or personal buoyancy aid needs to be worn, the RYA recommends that you wear a life-jacket or buoyancy aid unless you are sure you don’t need to.
When you feel you want to wear one or if you are not totally sure that you do not need to wear one.
In addition to selecting between a life-jacket and a buoyancy aid, consideration also needs to be given to the level of buoyancy that is required.
Buoyancy aids and life-jackets have different levels of buoyancy. These levels of buoyancy should be considered and influence your choice. There are four main buoyancy levels: 50, 100, 150 and 275.
In general terms, Level 50 is a buoyancy aid designed for when help is close at hand, whereas Level 150 is a general purpose life jacket used for offshore cruising and motor boating.
Specialist life-jackets are available for infants and children.
Crotch straps, spray-hoods and lights are frequently not fitted as standard to a life-jacket, but are really essential to actually keep you alive in the water and aid your location.
Life-jackets are intended to keep the wearer’s face and mouth clear of the water, even when unconscious. However, everybody is different and size, weight, shape and other physical attributes of an individual may impact on the life-jacket’s ability to perform as intended, in keeping the user’s mouth clear of the water. Even the clothing you wear might affect this. Where it is possible to do so it may be worthwhile to test your life-jacket in a controlled environment to check that it will work for you.
Where it was once rare to see people wearing life-jackets afloat, it is now an accepted norm.
Please remember that inflatable life-jackets and buoyancy aids require regular checks and servicing.