Buoyancy Aid
A buoyancy aid is a personal floatation device that's designed for those partaking in various watersport activities including kayaking, windsurfing and paddle boarding. Buoyancy aids are designed to be unrestrictive and provide you with maximum freedom of movement, whilst providing you with enough buoyancy to support you in the water, without necessarily keeping your head above the waterline.
If you're looking for a kayak buoyancy aid, we highly recommend Crewsaver's Pro SZ 50N Buoyancy Aid as it has a unique body shaping foam that adapts to your body profile, ensuring maximum freedom of movement. The Crewsaver buoyancy aid also features multiple storage pockets, so you can keep your valuables close to hand. On the rear, there's also a breathable airflow mesh that reduces heat built up.
For a windsurfing or SUP buoyancy aid, look no further than Spinlock. Their Wing PFD 50N Buoyancy Aid has a low profile design with tapered high cut that offers excellent mobility. The fit is snug, reducing resistance and making the buoyancy aid perfect for high speed, high agility watersports.
For paddleboarding, we also highly recommend checking out Spinlock Alto 75N Belt Pack. This lightweight, compact floatation device is worn around the waist so feels almost invisible and works like a manual life jacket. If you fall into the water and require assistance, simply pull the toggle and an inflatable tube will be released from the waist pack, which then supports you under the arms and around the chest.
What's the difference between a life jacket and a buoyancy aid?
A life jacket is designed to keep you afloat, even if you are unconscious and/or unable to swim, where-as a buoyancy aid is designed to aid you in swimming to safety should you fall into the water. Once a life jacket has inflated, the cylinder will need to be replaced before it can be used again. In comparison, buoyancy aids are cylinder-free and rely on their foam interior to help you stay afloat. We go further into detail on this subject in our 'Life Jackets v Buoyancy Aids - What's the difference?' blog post.
Why Choose Pirates Cave Chandlery?
For over 30 years we've been supplying a leading range of buoyancy aids for the whole family - from adult buoyancy aids, to childrens buoyancy aids and even dog buoyancy aids.
We aim to help every customer understand their products fully before they make a purchase, which is why we encourage you to contact us if you have any questions or concerns about buoyancy aids. Whether you want to know about the best dinghy buoyancy aid or which are the cheapest buoyancy aids available in the UK, you can rely on us to give you honest and unbiased advice.
We’re not just online either. We have one of the largest brick and mortar chandleries in the UK, plus an additional outlet store - so why not come and visit us in-store? If you're not local to us, rest assured there's no long wait for your order to arrive! We ship all our orders out on a fully tracked, next day service (subject to stock availability) with one hour timeslot.
Useful Links:
Blog: Do I Need A Life Jacket Or Buoyancy Aid For Kayaking?
Blog: Paddle Board Life Jacket Buyers Guide.
