Zip, Clip, Go!

Whether you have extra guests aboard or you discovered your youngster has suddenly outgrown the life jacket that fit last year, borrowing a life jacket for a day or weekend is easy: Visit BoatUS.org/LJLP and use the map search to find life jacket loaner sites near you. Sign out one or more jackets as needed at no cost. When finished, return the life jackets to the site. Easy-peasy.

Even so, the folks at our BoatU.S. Foundation have wondered whether the checkout process could be even easier and more accessible. So they applied for – and won – a grant through the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, administered by the U.S. Coast Guard, to pilot several new life jacket loaner options. These include new digital lockers, unmanned loaner sites, and digital checkouts.

The pilot sites will also include enhanced life jacket education, including QR codes that can be scanned to access fitting guides and videos. By the time you read this, some of these new pilots will be available at up to 150 loaner sites across the country.

According to Tiffany Gonzalez, BoatU.S. Foundation program manager, these pilot models represent an evolution of the Foundation’s long-standing Life Jacket Loaner Program. “They allow us to connect with sites and borrowers in smarter ways, helping us better understand community needs, best practices, and program impact,” she says.

Insights collected during these pilots will help inform the industry with data-driven best practices for increasing access to life jackets and improving proper wear. “BoatU.S. Foundation is committed to finding innovative ways to expand access while reducing potential loss to ensure programs like this have the greatest impact,” adds Gonzalez.

— Originally published by BoatUS. Reproduced with permission.