Boating, paddling, and water safety in Colorado
Life jackets and cold-water safety in Colorado
A practical water-safety plan for life-jacket fit, cold-water shock, changing weather, falling in, and helping from shore.
A life jacket works best when it is already on
Correct size
Match the jacket to the wearer and activity. Read the label and make sure it is in serviceable condition.
Ready is not buried
A jacket stored under gear is hard to reach after a fall. Keep required equipment accessible.
Children
A child age 12 or younger must wear a life jacket while the vessel is on the water, except in an enclosed cabin or below deck.
Activity label
An inflatable jacket is not approved for every age or activity. Read the label before counting it as required equipment.
Cold water
The first problem can be the gasp, not the distance
Sudden cold water can disrupt breathing and movement. Stay with the craft when possible, control breathing, and do not count on swimming strength alone.
Watch the sky and the shore
- Get off the water before lightning reaches the area.
- Wind can make the return much harder for paddlers and small craft.
- Tell someone the water, route, group, and return time.
- From shore, reach or throw a flotation aid instead of entering dangerous current without training.
Take this with you
The water-safety check
- ✓ Every person has the right life jacket and is wearing it.
- ✓ The group checked wind, storms, water conditions, and the return route.
- ✓ Cold-water layers, communication, and a float plan fit the trip.
- ✓ Rescue gear is reachable and the group knows how to call for help.
Official sources and review
Check the current rule before you act
These links go to the agencies that control this part of the trip. Use the exact page, license, listing, map, order, or confirmation for your situation.
Use this carefully: No checklist can make cold, moving, stormy, or remote water safe. Match the trip to the group, wear life jackets, and leave the water when conditions are beyond the plan.
Keep going
The other parts of boating, paddling, and water safety in colorado
Registration and equipment
How the craft, motor, sail, operator, and trip affect registration, the ANS stamp, life jackets, and required onboard gear.
Inspections and Clean, Drain, Dry
How Colorado's ANS stamp, inspection stations, decontamination, launch checks, and gear cleaning fit together.
Paddling and launch rules
What paddlecraft users should check about markings, life jackets, sound devices, inspections, leashes, launch access, and local water rules.