Testing an old inflatable vest: a harmless gesture that reveals a critical flaw
Vincent finds a lifejacket with a Hammar hydrostatic release at the bottom of his boat's trunk. On the mechanism, he discovers an expiry date of 2006. The trigger and its cylinder should have been changed almost 20 years ago... Curious, he jumped into the water to see how it worked.
If the e-inflation triggered normally, the bladder membrane failed immediately. The vest did not inflate. The other 2 identical vests, which had been in the bottom of the trunk for the same length of time, had the same defect.
"The vest inflated immediately, but deflated almost as quickly... the bonding membrane burst."
No regulations, but essential maintenance
This highly instructive, if also extreme, experience demonstrates the importance of lifejacket servicing. In pleasure boating, there are no regulations obliging sailors to have their lifejackets inspected. However, manufacturers such as Plastimo, Secumar and Spinlock recommend an inspection every two years. If maintenance is not entrusted to an approved center (which is recommended when it comes to safety), it can nonetheless be carried out by the boater himself, provided that certain verification steps are followed.
Checkpoints when servicing a self-inflating vest
Checking operations are simple, but must be carried out methodically:
- Visual inspection of textile envelope, seams and trigger.
- External inflation using a pump (avoid the mouth to avoid introducing moisture).
- Maintain pressure for 12 to 24 hours to test bladder tightness.
- Weigh the CO? cartridge (for UML systems), whose weight must correspond to the manufacturer's specifications.
- Trigger capsule expiration date check (Hammar or UML).
- Carefully repackaged according to the manufacturer's folding diagram.
The invisible damage of time: a silent threat
In this case, the tear occurred at the junction between the capsule and the inflatable membrane, an area subject to high stress. This type of failure, invisible until the vest is inflated, can only be detected during a prolonged pressure test. Plastics and technical materials age, especially in damp or confined conditions such as those found in a hold.
Avoid the trap of old or decommissioned equipment
Self-inflating vests that are more than ten years old, especially if they are second-hand or long-forgotten, should be treated with caution. Beyond wear and tear, the entire âeuros release chain, from capsule to âeuros bladder, can be compromised. Preventive replacement or scrapping may be the only reliable option.
The price of new self-inflating vests, starting at around ?100, suggests that this is not a budget to skimp on when it comes to crew safety.
