Why Inflatable Lifejackets Expire

(And How To Stay Safe)

Title

Many sailors treat their inflatable lifejacket like they do an anchor. They buy it, use it, stash it, and repeat, expecting it to keep performing year after year, decade after decade. But inflatable lifejackets aren’t the same as traditional foam life vests, and so they can’t be expected to perform in the same way. Traditional foam lifejackets float simply because of what they're packed with. Inflatable lifejackets are active and require a precise chain reaction of mechanical and chemical events to inflate in seconds.

Many of us are sceptical when it comes to expiration dates, thinking they are just added by the manufacturers to get us to buy more, sooner. And chances are, you’ve eaten something that has been past the expiry date and been absolutely fine – so that would probably be the same for a lifejacket that looks OK, right?

Unfortunately not. Due to the chemical triggers, pressurised gas, and welded technical fabrics, inflatable lifejackets cannot be expected to perform after the expiry date set by the manufacturer. And when your life is at stake, you simply cannot take the risk.

What Actually Expires in an Inflatable Lifejacket?

Title

Inflatable lifejackets are designed using consumable parts that help keep it working as it should. The way that those parts function so well are unfortunately also part of what lead to them expiring after a certain amount of time. Here's the three things that you need to pay attention to.

The Automatic Firing Mechanism

Automatic inflatable lifejackets rely on water-sensitive triggers to fire the mechanism. Whether your lifejacket has a compressed paper element that dissolves to release the pin (such as the Mk5i or the ProSensor Elite) or it is a hydrostatic system like Hammar that relies on water pressure to fire, eventually they will fail.

That’s because paper capsules absorb ambient moisture over time, which means they can break down prematurely, swell, or jam. Hydrostatic system have parts that can harden and degrade over time too, even if they haven’t been fired.

Lifejackets with a manual inflation trigger aren’t infallible either, unfortunately. Parts such as pins can corrode and jam – which is why rearming kits shouldl be replaced regularly.

The CO2 Cylinder and Seals

Inflatable lifejackets inflate as a result of the CO2 canister expanding into the bladder after it has been pierced. These are prone to corrosion, which can affect the threads on the part that screws in, as well as the body of the cylinder, and if that happens, then gas can slowly leak, or impact the way it performs when it is punctured. The rubber O-ring seal between the cylinder and the firing head can also degrade over time, which can allow moisture to impact the mechanism.

The Inflatable Bladder & Thermal Welded Seams

Inner bladders of inflatable lifejackets are usually made of polyurethane (PU) coated nylon, and holds the air that keeps you afloat. Over time, exposure to UV and salt water, as well as heat cycling can degrade the coating and the seam welds. This can lead to the material becoming brittle, getting pinhole leaks, or the seams separating at the point that the lifejacket inflates.

Key Factors Accelerating Degradation

Title

When your lifejacket is in storage – whether that’s in your locker at the sailing club, in the garage, or on the boat – it is always interacting with the environment. Being aware of these factors can help you take steps to extend the life of your lifejacket.

High Ambient Humidity and Condensation

Those paper capsules and metal parts? They’re always at the mercy of moisture. Damp lockers, wet bilges, or even just being in the garage through the winter can lead to capsules degrading, and corrosion increasing.

Salt Water Crystallisation

When salt water dries, salt is left behind, and those salt crystals have sharp edges. Forget to rinse with fresh water, and on subsequent wears, salt trapped inside the protective cover can begin to grind inside the cover and against the internal bladder like sandpaper. The result? Tiny holes which can weaken the bladder.

Trapped Moisture

It is so easy to throw your lifejacket in a sealed plastic bag, or in a locker after a day on the water and forget about it. But if it is still damp, that can cause a microclimate that rusts CO2 cylinders, corrode firing parts, and promote mould growth that impacts the coatings of the materials.

Extreme Temperature Cycling and UV Rays

The contrast between those glorious hot summer sails and icy temperatures during winter storage can have a huge impact on inflatable lifejackets. High exposure to UV can impact protective fabrics, webbing straps, and plastic buckles and clips, and high temperatures can weaken the glue on welded seams. Exposure to cold can cause condensation to freeze, leading to mechanisms to expand, and cracking internal plastic housing.

Expiry Dates vs. Service Intervals: The Rules

Title

With no expiry date printed on the lifejacket as a whole, it is easy to assume that it is fine to use forever. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Certain components have expiration dates, and regular servicing is required to ensure your lifejacket is seaworthy.

Hard Expiry Dates

Title

A number of internal components have expiry dates printed on them by the manufacturer. It is essential that the part is replaced when the date is reached – do not use the lifejacket if any of these parts are beyond the expiry dates.

Firing head: Whether automatic (Mk5i or the ProSensor Elite), hydrostatic (Hammar), or manual. For hydrostatic inflation systems, the internal pressure diaphragm and hydrostatic release mechanism must be replaced as a complete unit before the expiration date passes.

Specialist safety accessories: If you’ve invested in extra sailing accessories such as AIS beacons, lights, or flares, they have their own expiry dates based on battery and chemical life.

Lifejacket Care Timeline

Every trip: Pre-wear visual check, ensure green indicator on firing unit

Every 12 months: Annual service

Every 2-3 years (and after every inflation): Replace firing capsule

Components Timeline

Component expiry dates begin from the date they are manufactured, not the date they are purchased or installed.

Always check printed dates on rearming kits before installation.

Service Intervals

Title

Keeping an eye on component part expiry dates is just one part of ensuring your lifejacket works as it should when you need it to; you also need to service your lifejacket as a whole. If you’re using your lifejacket purely for leisure, then we recommend professional servicing annually. For commercial crews, charter operators, and anyone sailing using the rules of offshore racing (such as World Sailing), annual professional lifejacket servicing is a legal requirement and records must be maintained for inspections.

How to Check If Your Inflatable Lifejacket Is Expired

Title

Open the side zipper or velcro seam to expose the internal inflation mechanism and the base of the CO2 cylinder. Keep the folded bladder as neat as possible to avoid disturbing the factory repacking folds.

Inspect the firing head and status indicator. On the visual indicator window on the automatic firing mechanism, it should be all green. This indicates the firing cap and pin are armed and ready. If it is red, or missing a clip, the cartridge has been fired, tampered with, or expired – so you should replace it immediately.

Check the expiry date on the firing capsule. If the current date is past the expiry date, replace it immediately.

Unscrew the metal CO2 canister turn-by-turn counter-clockwise. Check the metal seal at the top is smooth and unpierced, look for corrosion anywhere on the cylinder. Then, weigh the cylinder on a digital kitchen scale. Compare the reading to the Gross Weight (GR.WT.) stamped on the bottle shoulder. If the weight is down by more than 2 grams, gas has leaked out and the cylinder must be replaced.

Perform a 24 hour oral inflation test. Do this by unfolding the bladder and inflating it fully using the oral inflation tube until firm. Leave it in a temperature-stable room for 24 hours. If the bladder feels soft or loses pressure, air is escaping through a micro-leak or degraded thermal seam, meaning the unit requires certified professional servicing.

Peace of Mind on the Water

Title

An inflatable lifejacket is one of the most important parts of your sailing gear, but it can only work effectively if it is properly maintained. As we’ve explained, expiration dates aren’t just set by manufacturers to encourage additional sales – they’re critical safeguards to protect your lifejacket from the elements degrading the parts.

Doing regular visual checks, replacing parts on time, and ensuring annual professional servicing will keep your lifejacket in working order, so wherever you’re using it, if an emergency occurs, it’ll inflate exactly as it is supposed to.

Book your professional servicing with TeamO.