Horsehair and rushes — although the materials were light and buoyant, neither were waterproof nor durable enough for lifejackets. Woods such as baobab and balsa — the bark was successfully light and buoyant, but they were hard to obtain and very expensive to buy. Synthetic foams, developed in the s, lead to the introduction of the Beaufort lifejacket.
Consistent purpose Our lifejackets may have changed almost beyond recognition over the years, but the essential task that they carry out has stayed the same. As innovation continued and continues to grow in all aspects of our lifesaving equipment, it has always remained that an RNLI lifejacket must fit the following criteria: They must provide enough buoyancy to support a crew member and another person.
They must not restrict movement and not interfere with other protective clothing, either in the boat or in the water. They must be quick and simple to put on. They must be hard-wearing. These are principles that the RNLI still hold today. Tynemouth lifeboat crew wearing kapok lifejackets circa Exmouth lifeboat crew wearing Beaufort lifejackets in After World War I, balsa wood also was used in preservers, but by the time of World War II, foam was in use and eventually supplanted kapok.
Peter Markus invented the first inflatable life preserver in , receiving U. Patent It was nicknamed the "Mae West" in reference to the buxom entertainer, whom wearers of inflated vests were thought to resemble. In , Congress passed the Motorboat Act and less bulky life preservers were designed. The idea was that if they were easier to wear, they would be worn, and lives would be saved. By , the U. Coast Guard realized that the required life preservers were still not suitable, and set about having special life preservers made to suit different pastimes such as water skiing and canoeing.
In , the Coast Guard proposed new laws for the carriage of life preservers on boats and their wearing during recreation. Since , aircraft have been required to carry a life preserver for each passenger. As technology and water sports develop, so too does the life preserver. Goldi Productions Ltd.
Assyrian King Assur-nasir-Pal's army used inflatable animal skins to cross a moat. Records of death from cold water immersion date to ancient times. A Frenchman made a jacket out of cork, for emergencies. Up until this time, the Royal Navy used impressments kidnapping of sailors at sea to enlist in the army to recruit members. For this reason, lifejackets, which could help the prisoners escape from the boats, were not encouraged. Cork becomes the main ingredient in all lifejackets.
Kapok, a fibrous vegetable material, was first used in lifejackets. This was abandoned quickly because it lost its buoyancy when squeezed or sat upon.
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