USCG life vest approval

[GBR3068]

I'm just sorting through my safety lists and found something others may find useful. You can find USCG life vest approvals at https://cgmix.uscg.mil/Equipment/EquipmentSearch.aspx

Search by "Manufacturer Name" (e.g. Kent) and "Brand, Type/Model Name, Keyword" (e.g. 2042S-H) and you will get to the approval.

TLDR Details

One of my life vests is a West Marine made by Kent. Many life jackets are made by Kent. West Marine didn't have the approval certificate. Kent didn't have the approval certificate for this model at their site either, https://kentoutdoors.com/uscg-certificates After a couple weeks, Kent did track the approval down for me and also gave me the link to the USCG CGMIX site and search page. I could not find this CGMIX page for the life of me using Google. Thats why I thought it useful.

USCGAUX during inspection, not to mention SSS SER, require an approved life vest on board (my Spinlock vests don't count they are not USCG approved, my Mustang EP 38 is, and so is my old West Marine now I found the approval and it's renewal). See, for example http://blogs-it.cgaux.org/vqa.php/2012/06/09/does-a-life-jacket-expire
which says ...

Verify that all PFDs for recreational boats have a fully legible instruction label and the Coast Guard approval number is listed. If not, the device does not meet carriage or VSC decal requirements.

Kent also sent me the fancy color USCG certificate. The plain approval from CGMIX isn't quite the same as the fancy color USCG certificate (like this one for my immersion suit http://navalex.com/downloads/KENT-USCG-SOLAS CERTIFICATIONS.pdf) but it is better in that it is kept up-to-date when the mfr. renews it.

 

[GBR3068]

So here's something I didn't know about lifejackets and none of my Safety at Sea instructors, bless their hearts, knew either; I also asked USCG and they were a bit spotty on this too, so posting this in case it helps others. I have a Mustang EP 38 and a Spinlock (which I say again is not USCG approved) with pressure activation, but also some West Marine/Kent/Onyx lifejackets that have a bobbin. What I didn't know was what the date codes on the bobbin really mean and that there are two formats. For example, see https://www.onyxoutdoor.com/pages/faqs under "How often do I need to replace my yellow bobbin?" You will see:

<<< quote >>>
there is no deterioration. Bobbins that are exposed to high humidity, high heat, or vibration may need to be replaced more often. Some of the Onyx Inflatable Life Jackets will have a three-year shelf life, and others will have a five-year shelf life. A manufacture date code is stamped on all Onyx bobbins. See the examples below to determine the manufacture date and when your bobbin should be replaced.

3-Year Bobbin Replacement example:
Month Day
NOVXX
Year Manufacturer
XXHR

5-Year Bobbin Replacement example:
Manufacture Date:
103120
Expiration Date:
EX10/25

<<< end quote>>>

I replace more often than three years anyway but I didn't know about the two different formats until I did the research. Most people I asked looked at a bobbin with the first format and say "That's expired!". It's always going to look expired because it's the date of manufacture.