Recreational and professional activities bring people in contact with water everyday. Safety on and near the water is an issue for the weekend sail boater as well as for military and rescue personnel. Floatation devices are an important part of water safety. Full-body, industrial survival suits and simple water ski belts are two extremes in the family of personal floatation devices available. Although they differ tremendously in the amount of protection, the goal of all safety apparel is survival.

Life vests and life jackets are technically known as PFDs, short for personal flotation devices. They are designed to keep an individual afloat in the water in the event of an emergency and are considered life-saving equipment. The main function of a PFD is to keep a person on the water's surface in a relatively upright position to allow the person to breathe and not have to...