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FIGURE 12
TRYING YOUR FLOTATION DEVICE
TRYING YOUR FLOTATION DEVICE
Try on your flotation device to see if the fit is comfortably snug. Then
test it in shallow water to see how it handles. To check the buoyancy
of your flotation device in the water, relax your body and let your head
tilt back. Make sure your flotation device keeps your chin above water
and you can breathe easily.
YOUR FLOTATION DEVICE MAY NOT ACT THE SAME IN SWIFT OR ROUGH WATER AS IN
CALM WATER. THE CLOTHES YOU WEAR AND THE ITEMS IN YOUR POCKETS MAY ALSO
CHANGE THE WAY YOUR FLOTATION DEVICE WORKS.
If your mouth is not well above the water, get a new flotation device
or one with more buoyancy.
A flotation device is designed not to ride up on the body when in the
water. But when the wearer’s stomach is larger than the chest, ride-
up may occur. Before use, test this flotation device in the water to
establish that excessive ride-up does not impair performance.
In order to understand how your inflatable operates you should inflate
it. Depending on the type of inflatable you have you can inflate it
automatically, manually, or by the oral inflator. The following sections
will guide you through each process.
