Does my child need to wear a life jacket if they already know how to swim?

Lifejackets are part of the ABCDs of water safety. D is for drains (avoid them) and Devices (life jackets). Everyone should wear a life jacket if you’re boating, sailing, kayaking, paddle boarding, jet skiing–any watercraft. It is also smart to wear a life jacket when swimming in rough water as well as when jumping off of a pier or similar distance so that if a swimmer is injured by an unseen underwater hazard or has trouble swimming, the life jacket serves its function: to save lives. Adults should wear theirs when boating, too, to be good role models and be ready to help in case of emergency. Make sure your teen knows never to rely on inflatable tubes and rafts as life preservers.