Abstract: A buoyant member comprising a sheet or shaped panel of flexible or pliable, mainly closed cell foam material for forming at least part of a garment to provide buoyancy therefor, wherein the foam material has a density less than water, and the sheet or shaped panel has a plurality of fold lines and a plurality of separated portions or “islands” of foam material provided or formed without removal or cutting of foam material, such as by high frequency welding techniques (such as ultrasonic welding action) so as to have the effect of making denser fold lines but the whole sheet more flexible than the buoyant foam material and to increase the overall flexibility of the sheet or shaped panel.