Here's a summary of the PFD situation. European countries require the PFD to be CE approved. The US requires the PFD to be USCG approved. Australia has their own requirement (however it accepts CE approval as legit), and so do some of the South American countries... For the most part they all require a certified construction and a minimum amount of bouyancy - pounds, newtons, etc. If you are an international athelete, you are required to have a whole bag full of PFD's if the SI's or class rules are specific enough to require a PFD that meets the local requirement. More and more often the SI's are being modified to specify a "PFD", no more, no less.
Meanwhile Zhik has chosen to adopt the European "CE" certification because at the moment it is being accepted in Europe and Australia - the majority of the worldwide sailing PFD market. The Zhik PFD is tagged as "Not Coast Guard Approved", and marketed as such. FWIW, Musto, Gill, and Magic Marine also market PFD's that are CE approved, not USCG approved. At this time the cost of getting USCG approval does not make economic sense for Zhik, nor any other non-US manufacturer.
Currently there is an international movement to adopt an ISO9001 standard that all countries can adopt, and end this entire process of certification within each authority.
Regards, Mike Krantz
Zhik USA
USCG Type II PFDs (the type often worn by Cat Sailors in the USA) are required to have a
minimum of 15.5 lbs of flotation.
The
Zhik PFD is approved to
CE EN 393 50 N which has a minimum flotation standard of 5 kg (11 lbs).
Both the Zhik and Magic Marine PFDs appear to be more low profile than offerings that meet USCG Type II - which suggests that they have less foam and therefore less flotation.
I'm not suggesting that the CE EN 393 compliant jackets are significantly less safe - but people should be aware of the differences and consider the conditions under which they race or sail when selecting a PFD. For example sailing on inland or protected waters in warm conditions and with safety boats versus sailing offshore in cooler water without support.
The 35lbs of flotation that Mark referred to is for Type I PFDs are are designed to keep the wearers face above water even when unconscious. I have not seen many catsailors wear this type because of the reduction in mobility and lack of comfort when sat on a trampoline.
Chris.
