Visitors to this year’s Southampton Boat Show, which takes place 16th – 25th September 2016, will be able to visit the Crewsaver stand (J250) in the Ocean Hall to be part of this new initiative, and to be in with the chance of winning an Abu Dhabi ErgoFit Extreme lifejacket by being #LifejacketSafe. ‘Are you #LifejacketSafe’ aims to help promote lifejacket safety, encouraging boaters to always wear their lifejackets when out on the water!
Visitors of the show and in particular the Crewsaver stand (J250), can seek out one of the helpful members of the Crewsaver team who will give them a lifejacket to wear and a photo opportunity wearing the #LifejacketSafe frame. This will then be added to the Crewsaver ‘We are #LifejacketSafe’ wall. These safe boaters will then automatically be entered into a competition to win an Abu Dhabi ErgoFit Extreme lifejacket as worn by the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing team themselves whilst sailing and winning the Volvo Ocean Race.
For those unable to attend the Southampton Boat Show, be part of the initiative online by snapping your pictures at home and posting them to the Crewsaver Facebook page using the hashtag #LifejacketSafe.*
All show competition entrants will be given a useful hints and tips guide outlining the importance of care, maintenance, regular service and inspection of lifejackets; details of common mistakes and ways of preventing them; as well as what to look out for when purchasing your next lifejacket whilst helping to ensure it's the correct one for your activity.
Crewsaver is determined to bring about change in people’s attitudes towards lifejacket safety. Research has proved wearing a lifejacket can increase your chances of survival by up to four times when immersed in cold water**. Not wearing a lifejacket in the most extreme cases can be fatal; equally wearing a lifejacket that has not been looked after correctly or is not fit for purpose can also be very damaging. Often boaters are spotted out on the water either not wearing a lifejacket at all or wearing a damaged lifejacket or one that is incorrectly fitted.
‘We looked at strong lifejacket safety campaigns like the Wear It! campaign in the States, and wanted to put together a campaign that would create more awareness of lifejacket safety in the UK, celebrate those who are #LifejacketSafe and provide information on how a lifejacket actually works, lifejacket maintenance etc. Our overall aim is to keep users safe and better informed. Hopefully this exciting, interactive initiative goes some way to achieving that.’ Hannah Burywood, Marketing Manager.
*Online posts will not be entered into the competition; competition entries are exclusive to those visiting the Crewsaver stand at the Southampton Boat Show.
** Source: Professor Mike Tipton, 2012