Life Jackets Save Lives; Education is the First Step.
By Life Jacket Association | Guest Blog for the National Drowning Prevention Alliance
May is National Water Safety Month, serving as a reminder that drowning can be preventable, and a life jacket is one of the most powerful tools we have.
The Life Jacket Association joins the National Drowning Prevention Alliance in raising awareness about the critical role Personal Flotation Devices such as life jackets play in drowning prevention. Wear your life jacket, ensure it is fitted correctly, and understand how it will perform before you ever reach the water.
Every summer, millions of Americans head to lakes, rivers, coastlines, pools, and waterways in search of fun, adventure, and connection. Yet far too many of those outings end in tragedy. The Life Jacket Association is dedicated to increasing life jacket wear rates and dramatically reducing preventable injuries and fatalities in, on, and around the water.
Numbers We Cannot Ignore
Drowning remains a leading cause of unintentional death in the United States, cutting across age groups, geographies, and skill levels.
Every year in the United States there are an estimated 4,000 fatal unintentional drownings — an average of 11 drowning deaths per day.
- There are an additional 8,000 nonfatal drownings every year — averaging 22 nonfatal drownings per day.
- More children ages 1–4 die from drowning than any other cause of death.
- For children ages 5–14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after motor vehicle crashes.
- 87% of boating drowning victims were not wearing a life jacket.
Sources: CDC Drowning Data & Research; U.S. Coast Guard Recreational Boating Statistics Report (2024).
The National Drowning Prevention Alliance recognizes life jackets as one of the five critical layers of protection in drowning prevention and water safety. When correctly selected for the activity, fitted, and worn as designed, a life jacket dramatically increases the likelihood of survival in an aquatic emergency — whether you’re on a boat, taking part in watersports, paddling, swimming in open water, or at pools and water parks.
Common Mistakes That Put Lives at Risk
Simply having a life jacket on board, or even wearing one, does not guarantee safety. A life jacket only works when it fits correctly, is appropriate for the activity, and has been properly maintained.
- Wearing an improperly fitted life jacket — a life jacket that is too loose, too large, or the wrong type can lead to unintended consequences.
- Never testing it in water — put on a life jacket and practice in a secure and supervised environment before your outing. Practicing in-water is the only way to become comfortable in the water, increasing water competency increasing chances of survival should an emergency arise.
- Choosing a life jacket based on size alone is not enough — Different activities require different types of devices, such as those approved for towed water sports or personal watercraft use. Always read the label for the correct size, intended use.
- Neglecting inspection and maintenance — straps, buckles, foam, zippers, and inflation mechanisms all degrade over time and require periodic care. Follow manufacturers’ care and maintenance instructions.
- Assuming all life jackets perform the same — A U.S. Coast Guard approval does not mean a life jacket will automatically turn an unconscious person face up. Look for the turning icon, which indicates the life jacket will turn a person face up without swimming movements, or the crossed-out arrow icon, which means it will not automatically turn the wearer face up.
Education and hands-on in-water training is the bridge between owning a life jacket and trusting one with your life.
Education Brings Confidence — The Life Jacket Technician Course
The Life Jacket Association is proud to announce the launch of the Life Jacket Technician Course — a nationally recognized certificate program developed in partnership with Kalkomey, one of the country’s leading providers of recreational safety education.
This course was born out of a clear and pressing need: widespread confusion about life jacket styles, use cases, sizing, and care. Water safety professionals — whether working full-time at aquatic facilities, seasonally at summer camps, or in retail settings — often lack the specialized knowledge needed to confidently guide others and everyday users frequently have even less familiarity with the options available to them.
This deep-dive program covers the history and evolution of life jackets, selection based on intended activity and water environment, how to properly size and fit for body type and age, cleaning and long-term maintenance best practices, and application across open water, boating, pools, water parks, and watersports. Upon completion, participants receive a certificate and digital badge — a portable credential demonstrating expertise and commitment to water safety. The course is available in both English and Spanish.
Who Should Take This Course?
Life jacket knowledge is foundational for water safety, making this course valuable for a broad audience: aquatic safety and training professionals at pools, camps, parks, and marinas; water safety instructors and educators; recreational boaters who want to go beyond basic compliance; life jacket retailers and manufacturers; and individuals and families who spend time on the water. Whether your world is open ocean, a freshwater lake, a community pool, or a whitewater river, this course takes your knowledge to the next level.
This May, Make the Commitment
National Water Safety Month is an annual reminder that drowning can be preventable. The tools exist. The knowledge exists. What we need is wider adoption, deeper education, hands-on training, and a culture that normalizes life jacket wear the same way we normalize seatbelts in cars.
The Life Jacket Association invites water safety professionals, educators, employers, and individuals across the country to use this May as a launching point to raise awareness and take action. Together, with the National Drowning Prevention Alliance and partners across the water safety community, we can make an impact — making this the summer where more families return home from the water, because they were equipped, educated, trained, and protected.
About the Life Jacket Association
The Life Jacket Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit association dedicated to promoting the interests of the water safety community by advancing the use and proper wear of life jackets through the development of technical standards, engagement with regulatory bodies and in governmental affairs, collaboration with industry and stakeholders, and by educating and communicating with the public on life jacket usage.
Life Jacket Technician Course: www.lifejacketassociation.org/lifejackettechniciancourse
