One of the easiest and most effective exercises a parent can do to protect their child from the No. 1 on-the-water hazard—drowning—is to make sure their youngster wears a personal flotation device (PFD).

The Mustang Type III is the only youth life jacket PBR tested that features a quick-grab strap on the vest’s collar.

Most states have laws that require children to wear life jackets. Depending on the state, the laws may apply to children of certain age, boats of certain size, or other circumstances. To learn about the particulars of your state’s law go to this website: www.boatus.com/foundation/

LJLP/staterequirements.asp

A good quality PFD, properly fitted to the child and suitably rated for the boating area, will do much to guard against mishap. In our first look at kids’ PFDs, we review…