|
|
RAY SCOTT OUTDOORS™ NEWS RELEASE
|
The Life Jacket Debate With Inflatables
Proof-Tested PINTLALA, Alabama - Inflatable life jackets? What's the advantage, if any, over standard foam vest-type personal flotation devices (PFDs)? Try one on for size and see. Comfortable. Cooler in hot weather. No doubt, a life vest you will wear is best. Now, add the safety of being an automatically inflating PFD with reliability and approved by the U.S. Coast Guard's safety standards. "With a non-bulky life vest - like the SOSPENDERS® inflatable life jacket - there's no reason not to make wearing a life vest mandatory in fishing and boating recreational situations," believes Ray Scott, the founder of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.). Scott, the creator and father of professional bass fishing tournaments, led the charge to promote boating safety by requiring tournament contestants to wear a Coast Guard approved life vest when operating the big motor on the bass boat. With Scott's B.A.S.S. tournament leadership, the 650,000 members organization pushed for safer bass boating standards to include manufacturer's safety "kill switches" - cut-off devices to stop the outboard motor if the operator left the console - upright floatation in bass boat manufacturing, and horsepower rating standards. But it was the "rule of bassin' law" to wear your life jacket anytime the big motor is cranked that's set the example for better, safer boating. As national spokesman for Sporting Lives, Inc., the manufacturer of the newly approved auto-inflate SOSPENDERS® life vest, Scott has been instrumental in calling public attention to the need to considering a "mandatory regulation" for the wearing of life jackets. "Previously, boaters and fisherman had a valid reason for not wearing the Type III foam vests," points out Scott. "You'll bake in Alabama in the summer. But, look at it as an insurance policy in the event of an accident. We've got seat-belt laws, in this country, now. Ask yourself how many lives are saved each year by the requirement to 'buckle up'?" The U. S. Coast Guard's vital statistics predicts over 800 lives will be lost in the year 2001 alone. "The biggest cause of loss of life in boating mishaps is drowning," points out Scott. "According to the Coast Guard's figures, many of the dead will be wearing a life vest." Scott points out the foam-type vest is not designed to turn a person into an upright position and hold the person's head out of the water. "You have to be conscious to survive and able to swim. With the SOSPENDERS-type inflatable there's over 35-pounds of buoyancy, more than three times the '15 pounds of flotation' found in a typical Type III foam vest," says Scott. That may sound like a big "buoyancy bonus," when the average adult reportedly requires 11 pounds or less of buoyancy to stay afloat in "calm water." "That's the fail-safe flaw," says Scott. "In rough water the extra buoyancy gives you more freeboard, with your face out the water. And in the case of wearing a pair of SOSPENDERS® prevents drowning, even if the user is rendered unconscious." Inflatable PFDs are available in three types: (1) manually activated with a ripcord and (2) the auto-inflate fired by a small CO2 cartridge. Both units will fully inflate in under three seconds and can be re-armed with replacement CO2 cylinders. The third product uses an oral inflation tube only. "It's great for children learning how to swim because you can blow the full amount of flotation into the product and as the child gains confidence, slowly deflate the support until the youth is fully confident in the water," Scott points out. As national spokesman for SOSPENDERS®, Scott is obviously an out-spoken advocate of the product manufactured by Sporting Lives, Inc. of Fruitland, Idaho. "I'm a great believer in the product and the work being carried out by Sporting Lives, Inc. and Scott Swanby, but don't just take my word," acknowledges Scott. "Read the results of the consumer product testing by "POWERBOAT REPORTS." After testing nine Coast Guard-approved models from three manufacturers - SOSPENDERS®, Stearns and Mustang - the magazine in a lengthy six-page article, declared: "We rate the SOSPENDERS® first." The report, entitled: "Inflatable Life Jackets: You Can't Go Wrong" (August 2000 issue), in part, stated: "SOSPENDERS® is a classy, well-made product. Our testers expressed a clear preference for the SOSPENDERS® models. However, the Mustang is an excellent product, as well." The article concluded: "The important thing is fit, so we're suggesting trying many models. In the end, though, any one (of the inflatables) will go a long way toward saving your life." "And, that's just the point I'm trying to impress on recreational fishermen, duck hunters and boaters," emphasizes Scott, who believes the more wearable SOSPENDERS® type inflatable life vest will net similar life-saving results as seat belts in cars, if "boaters will buckle-up, too." Scott points out, "In the event of a boating mishap or fall overboard in fishing, you'll be more apt to survive, even if knocked unconscious." Scott says, "The right thing for the U.S. Coast Guard to do is to make wearing a life vest mandatory in recreational boating situations. We require children to do it. Why not every boater? But, the Coast Guard's not going to successfully tackle that political football unless the public demands it." Here are the facts and figures about PFDs and why you should "Boat Smart From the Start":
For more information on SOSPENDERS® inflatable life vests, contact: Scott Swanby, Sporting Lives, Inc., 1510 West 17th Street, Fruitland, ID 83619 or the company's web address: www.sospenders.com.
|
