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14
VII. HOW AND WHY TO TEST YOUR PFD?
Inflate your PFD and try it out in the water to:
• Make sure it floats you:
Comfortably
(When worn properly)
Adequately for expected wave conditions
(Body shapes/densities affect performance)
• Make sure it works:
A flow of bubbles should not appear
(See Section V for leak tests)
It should inflate quick and easily
• Learn how it works by:
Activating the CO
2
inflation system
Rearming the CO
2
inflation system
Using the Oral inflator tube
The U.S. Coast Guard recommends that you purchase two
automatic rearming kits; one to be used immediately in testing the
automatic inflation system (see HOW DO YOU TEST YOUR PFD
USING THE AUTOMATIC INFLATOR?) and the other to carry on
board as a spare.
Since you should replace the pill (water sensing element) each
year, the U.S. Coast Guard recommends you test the automatic
inflation system in-the-water at the beginning of each boating
season. By doing this, you demonstrate that the automatic
inflation system is still working properly and reduce the likelihood
of premature inflation and its associated dangers. The only check
of the manual inflation system (with CO
2
cylinder and green
indicator tab removed) would be to determine that the lever arm
and piercing pin move freely when moving the lever (attached to
the pull tab) several times down and up.
HOW DO YOU TEST YOUR PFD USING THE AUTOMATIC
INFLATOR?
1. To test your inflatable PFD, you will need:
• Your fully armed PFD, and
• Rearming kit approved for your PFD.
2. Put on the PFD.
3. Get into shallow water, just deep enough that you can
stand with your head above the surface. Once the
automatic inflator is under water the PFD should
automatically, fully inflate within 10 seconds.