Seamanship
Our group of male testers, ages 5 to 12, weighed between 50 and 135 pounds. Body types ranged from husky to rail thin.
Kids’ Life Jackets for Active Sailors
Youth PFD test looks at buoyancy, fit, performance, and price.
For this test, we rounded up six high-performance, U.S. Coast Guard certified Type III personal flotation devices (PFDs) designed for children (50 to 90 pounds) participating in active sailing and other watersports. The test lineup comprised life jackets from five manufacturers: Astral Designs, Extrasport, Gill, MTI Adventurewear, and Stohlquist. Testers rated the PFDs on fit (in and out of the water), buoyancy, comfort, ease of donning and doffing, and safety features like crotch straps and whistles.
More Seamanship
-
Practical Tips for Survival at Sea
— In the course of writing five books about accidents and survival at sea, Michael Tougias interviewed many survivors... -
Summer Sailing Gear
Subscribers Only — Summer’s warm breezes and lazy weekends have arrived, so PS testers have put together a lineup of cool toys and... -
The Science of Safety
— We got some heartbreaking news just before this issue was on its way to the printer: On May 9, British Olympic... -
Crew Learns Along the Way
— When a storm packing gale-force winds with gusts to 115 knots and torrential rain left contributor Joe Minick’s... -
In the Wake of a Storm
— Sailing west from the Turkish port of Marmaris, we reached across the Aegean Sea with its notorious meltemi wind... -
Mailport: April 2013
— I recently purchased the cord, and as packaged on the plastic spool, the shore end of the new 25-foot EEL cord has a... -
Anti-Seasick Bands
Subscribers Only — Always on the lookout for drug-free anti-seasickness options, Practical Sailor recently tested a new one designed to... -
Extreme Ocean Gear Testing
— Matt Rutherford recently completed a record-breaking, non-stop solo circumnavigation of the Americas, covering 27,000... -
Small Boats Open Big Vistas
— In 2003, Matt Rutherford made a sight unseen commitment to cruising from his home in Ohio. Over the phone, he bought... -
Safety at Sea Part III: Rambler 100 capsize
— In our final review of three 2011 sailboat tragedies investigated by US Sailing, we offer a clear look at how even...
