Floatation for Infant Car Seat

[delmuts]

We have grand children that are to small for any type of life vest. I adjusted one of my life jackets to fit around the car seat. Any other suggestions for very little ones while in a boat? Thanks!

[skee0025]

If their that small, do they really need to be hitting the water? I wouldn't let my kids in the boat until they had a properly fitting life vest. Nothing you can whip up in the garage is going to be effective enough if something should happen.

[TruthWalleyes]

We have grand children that are to small for any type of life vest. I adjusted one of my life jackets to fit around the car seat. Any other suggestions for very little ones while in a boat? Thanks!

Hang onto them and go slow. I had a buddy bring a child in a carseat into the boat a few years ago. Make me incredibly nervous. I didn't go above idle. I told him he is 100% responsible when a CO writes you a ticket.

Go buy a lifejacket and travel at your own risk.

[MinDak Hunter]

My little guy was born in May (2007) @5lbs 14oz and we had him in a life vest in early July. Unless the child is 4lbs there should be many choices at Overtons, Mills Fleet, ect...

[nofishfisherman]

We have grand children that are to small for any type of life vest. I adjusted one of my life jackets to fit around the car seat. Any other suggestions for very little ones while in a boat? Thanks!

My only suggestion is that if you can't find a properly fitting life jacket for the infant then you absoultely should not take the kid on the boat. I know they make jackets for infants so keep looking to see if you can find one that fits.

On the other hand the kid is too young to find a vest for that means they are too young to be aware enough to enjoy themselves while on the boat so why bring them? The adults might think its fun to bring them but the kid won't know any different. Also keep in mind that infants that young shouldn't be out in the sun without being completely covered, they also can't regulate their temp very well. All in all just not a good idea in my opinion.

Lastly, going without a properly fitting vest is illegal. Your homemade carseat floatation won't cut it and could easily be more dangerous.

[CaptainMusky]

I think its smart that you are asking for some guidance here, but it really scares me to think what MAY happen should an infant be in a carseat even with some sort of flotation on it.

It would likely float with them face in the water or even upside down. Obviously not desireable.

They do make infant life jackets. I had them for my kids. Had them in my boat when they were only a couple months old. They have what looks like a big neck brace on the back which keeps their head up.

I purchased mine from gander mtn, but cabelas, even walmart should carry them.

I will be honest, they will NOT like them. Not comfortable, but you would beat yourself up pretty bad by not taking the right approach here and something were to happen.

I received a ticket for an infant without a life jacket because a friend of mine took it off just to feed her kid as we were putting to the landing, basically just waiting for the dock to clear. I didnt even know she did it, but the sheriff saw it and swooped right in. I was bummed, but paid regardless.

[SkunkedAgain]

Another one for the infant life jacket. My daughter was born in December and we had her in an infant jacket in early April. She didn't like it but she wore it. Also make sure that everything is snug!

I also strongly agree not to keep the baby strapped into any kind of car seat. Do you know how that thing might roll if the baby is in it? Stick 15lbs in the seat and test your contraption in a pool. I bet that it rolls over and puts the carseat face-down in the water.

[OnAFly]

I would just give it a little time. Better to wait til next summer to bring them out than have something happen and have to live with it.

[Eric_Kruger]

I would at least wait till the baby can hold its head up. that way you can put it in an infant life preserver. I would still wait till next summer though. and I wouldnt under any circumstance put a life preserver on a car seat.....

[bassfshin24]

Got ours at cabelas. Not the most comfortable looking. But works. Only idled out in front of the cabin.

[Tom7227]

I think the need for a proper life jacket has been pretty well supported here. I am wondering about the use of a car seat and a life jacket - either in the mode the poster started with or with a proper size jacket for the baby. The pic posted by the gentleman with the baby and yellow jacket seems perfectly safe in terms of the jacket but I'm not so sure about having the baby on your lap, at least while running around. Any thoughts?

[aanderud]

I think the need for a proper life jacket has been pretty well supported here. I am wondering about the use of a car seat and a life jacket - either in the mode the poster started with or with a proper size jacket for the baby. The pic posted by the gentleman with the baby and yellow jacket seems perfectly safe in terms of the jacket but I'm not so sure about having the baby on your lap, at least while running around. Any thoughts?

I'm not convinced a car seat with a kid in a life jacket buckled in it would work correctly. First off, the car seat buckles/straps are meant to be tight to the infant. In fact, on the way home from the hospital a friend was told that the clothing he swaddled his kid in was too thick and needed to be removed to make the carseat fit propertly/snugly to the infant. Second, who knows if the life preserver would keep the kid's head out of the water if the seat was to go overboard. The life preserver has been designed and tested so that it keeps a kid's head out of the water, even if the kid knows nothing about swimming. In fact, it'll turn a kid the correct way automatically, if worn correctly, even if you were to set the infant in the water face-down. I'm not sure it works the same when you add a 10 or 15 pound carseat.

I have to think that the safest thing to do with your infant if you want him/her on the boat is to hold her as pictured above. Seems to work in airplanes (there's even a phrase that they'll print on your ticket: infant-in-arms). My only suggestion is that the person responsible for (and holding) the infant in a boat should be a non-driver.

[bassfshin24]

I should have mentioned that I only took a picture with her on my lap. I would not drive around with her in my lap. I make my wife sit in the middle with my daughter on her lap.

[wayne123]

I would say that a clear day on a quiet lake and going slow is as important as some type of floatation. I would not want them shaken too much by waves. Stay close to some place where you can get off the lake quickly if the weather changes.

When our kids were too small for life jackets we put them in the car seat with a life jacket tied to it. It would not float them upright but I felt safer having them in a car seat because it eliminated the risk of them slipping out of someones hands.

[Pat K]

According to the county deputy down the street, a correct size infant life jacket is the only legal flotation device that can be used. It is also unsafe to have them strapped into anything like a car seat or tethered to any part of the boat.

He said that because of the weight of the child and design of the car seat they will almost always float child down!

[Down Deep]

Go to Gander, Target or Walmart they have flotation swim suits that will fit kids from infant to about 6 years old. I believe they also have USCG approval.

[delmuts]

Thanks!