One afternoon this past summer, I had occasion to use my PFD to just lazily float around for over an hour. I realized that after a while I wasn't floating as high in the water. Upon leaving the water, I found the jacket was somewhat heavy and was dripping a fair amount of water. At the time I tried to recollect if that was typical. It took hours for the PFD to dry out. But I forgot to pursue the issue until now.

Over on Transport Canada's Lifejacket and PFD webpage it states .. "Check its buoyancy regularly in a pool or by wading out to waist-deep water and bending your knees to see how well you float." However, various sources say things like "We recommend approximately 300 days on the water, or 5 years; whichever comes first." .. "The maximum lifespan of a foam-filled lifejacket or buoyancy aid for leisure boating is ten years." .. "Look for signs of mildew, waterlogging (the absorption of water), shrinkage or severe fading. If detected, replace your PFD." .. "A PFD should last anywhere from 4-10 years depending on how frequently it is used and in what environmental elements, how well it is taken care of and cleaned, and how durable the materials are that were used to create it.".

So since I acquired my PFD back in the spring of 2008 (eight summers ago), I'm thinking it's time for me to get a replacement. And off the top, I'm suspecting the garage isn't a good storage place, given its extremes of temperatures.

Please share your experiences and suggestions as to how to best care for and store a PFD.