BoatUS Foundation Expands Life Jacket Loaner Program

The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water received a grant for $375,000 through the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, administered by the U.S. Coast Guard. The funding will be used to expand the BoatUS Foundation’s Life Jacket Loaner Program by piloting up to 150 smart loaner life jacket stations across the nation. The pilot will test multiple station models to assess effectiveness across different community settings.

Founded in 1997, the Life Jacket Loaner Program was created to enable more children to be in properly fitting life jackets on the water. On average, BoatUS Foundation loans 140,000 life jackets each year and has more than 600 loaner sites currently.

As part of the grant, the Life Jacket Loaner Program stations in this pilot will test various technological features to improve access to properly fitting child-sized life jackets, track usage and deliver educational content on proper life jacket wear. Applications to be part of the pilot project will be opening in the coming weeks and loaner stations will be operational by the 2026 boating season.

For more information on the Life Jacket Loaner Program, please visit, BoatUS.org/life-jacket-loaner.