Abstract: Personal flotation equipment has a housing securable on a wearer, the housing having a gas chamber containing gas under pressure and a flotation bag chamber containing a flexible inflatable bag having an inlet. The housing also has a passage extending from the gas chamber to the flotation bag chamber, the inflatable bag inlet being connected to the passage. A normally closed valve in the passage prevents flow of the gas under pressure from the gas chamber through the passage into the inflatable bag. A cover is secured to the housing and retains the inflatable bag in the bag chamber, the cover being manually operable to cause the cover to cease retaining the inflatable bag in the bag chamber.