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A UK-made vest, Crewsaver’s Crewfit, takes first prize. The hitch—it’s not Coast Guard approved. Mustang earns runnerup honors.

Swimming on your stomach is hard while wearing an inflatable vest. You’re better off on your back, as demonstrated in this photo. Notice how high the vest holds this thick-haired person out of the water.

The Coast Guard estimates that more than half of the people who drown following a fall or ejection from a boat would have survived had they been wearing a personal flotation device (PFD). Unfortunately, standard life vests and jackets can be very uncomfortable and are not always worn by the average boater. In an effort to improve this situation, the Coast Guard began certifying inflatable PFD devices as a lightweight, though not inexpensive (see editorial), alternative to the bulky foam-flotation lifejacket. Here’s the bottom line: Because they’re smaller and more comfortable, you may be more likely to wear one. Our last test was (August 2000) done on the heels of…