The nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water and the National Safe Boating Council, which provides national boating safety outreach, have teamed up with boating app provider DECKEE to make it easier to find and borrow child- or adult-sized lifejackets for temporary use, such as for a day or weekend, with the goal of increasing lifejacket usage and boating safety.
This pilot program has integrated the BoatUS Foundation’s more than 600 lifejacket loaner sites across the nation into the simple-to-use DECKEE app, allowing boaters to find their closest BoatUS Foundation loaner site on a map or be notified when they are near a loaner location.
“It’s a great way to find a lifejacket loaner if you have unexpected guests aboard,” said BoatUS Foundation program manager Alan Dennison. The foundation’s loaner database includes more than 600 free kids’ Lifejacket Loaner Program sites at marinas, boat clubs, campgrounds, firehouses, and TowBoatUS companies. “We really want to make it easier for families to get the right size lifejackets, whether infant, child, teen, or adult,” he added. The program loans out more than 140,000 annually.
In 2023, statistics show that 75 percent of fatal boating accident victims drowned (where the cause of death was known). Of those, 87 percent were not wearing a lifejacket.
The DECKEE app is available for free for iOS and Android devices. For more information, visit boatus.org/ljlp.
Marinas, waterfront restaurants, businesses, boat clubs, and first responder organizations wishing to have an impact on boating safety in their home waters can also apply to become a BoatUS Foundation Kid’s Life Jacket Loaner program site. It’s free and easy to apply at boatus.org/life-jacket-loaner.
Approved locations will receive 12 children’s lifejackets in a variety of sizes from infant to youth, as well as signage and a local publicity kit. Lifejackets are replenished as wear and tear takes its toll. In addition to needing to have a secure, dry, protected storage area, the only partner requirement is to track lifejacket usage with an easy clipboard sign-out system and provide the foundation with annual feedback to help keep the supply in good condition.