Newborn Life Jacket
Posted by Slugly4e@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 13 comments
Does anyone have recommendations for a newborn life jacket for a small baby? The one we have seems a bit big for my liking and looking for options. She’s turning 4 weeks here soon but is only 7lbs 3oz as of now. She will be on our 35’ sailboat for coastal cruising.
antizana@reddit
She sounds like she’s still a bit small for this kind of adventure. The Salus Bijoux comes highly recommended in family sailing groups. We use the Secumar Bravo but the weight starts at 5 kg.
Slugly4e@reddit (OP)
Yep she’s not going anywhere until she has a proper fitting PFD. This would just be for above deck within the cockpit. She will always be being held and we have a good below deck system that’s air conditioned.
antizana@reddit
We use ours mainly for dinghy transfers. Having a good safe solution for “all hands on deck” moments is good too. Sounds like you have thought this through, I’m sure she’ll love it.
TradeApe@reddit
It can’t be in the sun this young and it also can’t take the water temperature. I say this as a sailor with a 3 week old newborn.
If you can keep him out of the sun it’s fine but he can’t go into the water. Is little body won’t be able to held temps enough.
Slugly4e@reddit (OP)
No intentions on going in the water. We have PFDs and a life raft but would only be looking at sailing within the harbor at first. We have a full dodger and interconnect and are not planning on sun exposure. We also keep the cabin under AC (have 1000ah of batteries so we can do battery powered AC) for bottles and nap times. We are only looking to do 1-2 hour harbor sails and work up to some overnights within anchorages in the harbor or maybe a 3 hour sail up the coast (18nm) later on.
svapplause@reddit
Not only water temp but air temp. Babies this little really do that regulate their body temperature at all. Pack em in a carseat and strap the carseat down is popular advice but car seats get hot. They get even hotter with even a thin muslin blanket draped over the top. Baby sweats, gets dehydrated and is very difficult to re-hydrate. It is very hot and very sunny in many, many places right now. The days are long but the years are short. Stay home for awhile.
theaback@reddit
Look we all love sailing but 4 weeks old is insane. Wait until she is at least 9 months old.
josephusflav@reddit
When I see questions about infant size life rafts I'm reminded to take the advice of Mr Krabs
" don't take anything on a boat that yer not prepared to lose."
Guygan@reddit
There is no PFD on the planet that will work for a 4 month old.
You are insane to take a baby that small on boat.
foilrider@reddit
4 week old.
Blue_foot@reddit
You can’t even put sunscreen on a 4 month old.
That baby should not be sailing yet.
TheEschatonSucks@reddit
I always assumed babies floated
geoffpz1@reddit
Had my kid, in the car seat/stroller thing, about then. Put him in the quarter birth with pillows and whatever to keep him in there while sailing and for naps. Car seat strapped to the Sampson post on smaller boat. Did that until he fit into the LJ. Teathers after walking and taught rules early.