Need a lift jacket with a barefoot suit?

Sooo....are barefoot suits legal without lift jackets? They don't have the USCG approved sticker on them but you can't really barefoot with a regular life jacket on.

My 8 y/o son has taken a liking to our barefoot suit. It has a ton of sewn/glued in flotation/padding and keeps him at least as well on top of the water as his regular life jacket. If it is rated to take falls at 40+ MPH I figure it should be OK at 18-20 wakeboarding/skating.

Anyways....any reason I should not let him just keep using the suit?



Thanks

Bakes

If you state requires a USCG approved vest when riding then legally you would have to wear one. We got tickets in Kentucky on a house boat trip for not wearing a approved jacket while barefooting. Here in Michigan we do not have to wear a jacket at all when behind the boat so we do not wear jackets with our suits when barefooting. That suit will float your son better than any jacket but may not be legal.

They do/did make coast guard approved BF suits..... They are pretty bulky though....

Most state's laws do exempt activities, such as barefooting and trick skiing, from USCG-rated PFDs under limited conditions. If you are in one of those states, keep a laminated copy of the law with you in the boat. Some officers have limited training and need the help to enforce the law judiciously.