Lifejackets are the most important piece of safety equipment on any recreational vessel.

A lifejacket must be carried for each person on board all vessels, unless exempt. It must be the correct size for the wearer and in good working condition. But it can’t save your life unless you’re wearing it.

Penalties may apply to the owners and masters of vessels found not carrying lifejackets, or if there are not enough lifejackets for everyone on board.  Penalties may also apply if occupants are not wearing lifejackets when they are required to do so.

More importantly, if you are not wearing your lifejacket, it cannot save your life. Between mid 1999 and December 2011, only 15 of the 221 people killed in boating accidents in NSW were wearing lifejackets. Many of these people could have survived, had they been wearing a lifejacket.