 Hello I'm Petty Officer James Harless with the 7th Coast Guard District. Today we have Petty Officer Barry Beena who will be showing us different types of life jackets, how to use them, and how they can make all the difference in your life while boating. I'm Petty Officer Barry Beena and I'm reporting to you today from Coast Guard Air Station, Miami. Behind me I have the Boating Advisory Trailer Public Awareness Kit and I was special guest today Mr. Bruce Wright. He is the Coast Guard 7th District Recreational Boating Safety Specialist. How you doing today Bruce? Good morning Barry. Can you tell me what is the most important thing boaters need to do this boating season? Always wear your life jackets. Our statistics show that people that are involved in a boating fatality or an accident, 90% of the people that drown were not and I'll repeat that we're not wearing their life jacket. Well that's an amazing statistic. You brought some examples here of some life jackets. Can you briefly explain to me some of the differences and similarities between some of these? What we have right here on the back wall are the new inflatable life jackets. What you see here the performance all are very very very similar except for the outside. You notice that some of them have different colors on them and different styles. It doesn't affect the performance at all. It merely allows the intended wearer to have a choice. And what kind of prices do these life jackets go for? Typically when you shop at your favorite nautical store you're going to find these life jackets in the $125 range. Now that's for an automatic. What I mean by an automatic if you accidentally fall overboard they automatically inflate and deploy once you get into the water. But during National Safe Boating Week typically around the first part of May they're always on sale. You're going to pay for right around $100. And what is one last bit of important information you want to pass on to voters this boating season and much more so now during National Safe Boating Week? The very best life jacket in the world is the one you wear. Thank you Bruce. I'm Petty Officer Barry Beena. Back to you Petty Officer Harless. Thank you Petty Officer Beena and Mr. Wright. Thank you for that important information. The Coast Guard cannot stress enough how absolutely important it is to wear your life jacket while boating. Trying to put on your life jacket in an emergency is like trying to put on your seat belt when involved in a car accident. Things happen just way too fast and when you find yourself here it could be too late. With the 7th Coast Guard District, I'm Petty Officer James Harless. For more information on boating safety visit uscgboating.org.