Abstract: A safety harness personal flotation device (10) is disclosed. The device (10) comprises a buoyant body portion (12) having front and back sections (14 and 20, respectively) defining armholes (22a and 22b) and a neckhole (24). The device (10) further comprises a harness arrangement (40) located on the inside surface (26) of body portion (12). The harness arrangement (40) includes a floating harness (41) which is carried adjacent to the inside surface (26) but is not otherwise significantly attached to the body portion. The flotation device (10) further comprises straps for carrying the floating harness (41) adjacent to the inside surface (26). A ring-like member (72) is provided for attachment to a safety or rescue line. The ring-like member (72) is connected to the harness arrangement (40) and is readily accessible for attachment to a rescue line.

Abstract: A personal flotation device (10) for use with a sailboard is disclosed. The device (10) comprises a buoyant body portion (12) having front and back sections (14 and 16, respectively) defining arm holes (26a and 26b) and a neck hole (28). The device further comprises hook (80) for releasably attaching the device to a line of a sailboard, straps 32, 48, 54, 62, and 68 for securing the body portion (12) to and quickly releasing it from the wearer, and flaps 38 and 40 and straps 32 and 54 for substantially distributing the stress, which arises from the pull of the sail and line, across the back of the wearer. The device (10) can further include tape 88 for self-adjusting the location of hook 80 to optimize the balance and comfort of the sailboard operator.

Abstract: A hybrid personal flotation device (10) of the type having a required buoyancy is disclosed. The flotation device (10) includes a mass of buoyant material (12a), (12b) and (12c) providing an amount of inherent buoyancy and an inflatable buoyancy chamber (18) cooperatively connected to the mass of buoyant material (12a), (12b) and (12c). The buoyancy chamber (18) is inflated with gas for providing supplemental buoyancy. The buoyancy chamber (18) may be deflated, whereby after the factory testing of said inflatable buoyancy chamber (18) by inflating and deflating the buoyancy chamber (18), a residual amount of gas that is used to inflate the buoyancy chamber (18) remains in the buoyancy chamber (18) after deflation, and provides an amount of residual buoyancy. The inherent buoyancy plus the residual buoyancy being greater than or equal to the required buoyancy. In a preferred embodiment, the buoyancy chamber (18) is covered by a covering panel (32).

Abstract: A survival suit having flotation and hypothermia protection characteristics. The suit includes an outer jacket and an inner jacket adapted to fit snugly about the torso of the wearer thereby minimizing any exchange of cold water. In the event of penetration of a small amount of water, the inner jacket is designed to entrap an insulating layer of water against the torso when immersed whereby high heat loss areas of the torso are thermally insulated. The outer jacket is provided with flotation material adequate to keep an adult afloat.

Abstract: A personal flotation device having a buoyant collar, a front bib section containing a flotation element and a back member, the bib and back members having lower portions that may be overlapped so as to cooperate with the collar to define armholes, the collar having a central opening for the neck of the wearer. The collar comprises front and rear collar sections pivotally secured together on an axis extending diametrically of the neck receiving opening and transversely of the device.

Abstract: A personal flotation device having a buoyant collar, a front bib section containing a flotation element and a back section, the bib and back sections having lower portions that may be overlapped so as to cooperate with the collar to define armholes, the collar having a central opening for the neck of the wearer. The collar comprises front and rear collar sections pivotally secured together on an axis extending diametrically of the neck receiving opening and transversely of the device.