Dog Gear

Life vests, leashes and choosing the right fit

Bringing your dog on the boat changes the safety picture. Strong-swimming dogs tire out in chop, deep water and cold faster than most owners expect. A dog overboard at distance is harder to spot than a person. And lifting a wet, panicked dog out of the water without something to grab is a real challenge. A good dog life vest solves all three. Honest disclaimer. Dog PFDs aren’t covered by the same AS/NZS standards as human life vests — they’re buoyancy aids designed for dogs, not certified PFDs. Pick a quality brand, size to your dog, and treat the vest as a serious aid rather than a guarantee. Don’t leave a dog in deep water unsupervised, even with a vest on. Sizing. This is the most important thing. Measure your dog’s chest girth (around the deepest part of the chest, just behind the front legs) and weight, then match to the manufacturer’s chart for the specific model. Brand sizing varies — don’t assume your dog is a “medium” across all brands. Send through your dog’s measurements if you want help picking. The range. Jetpilot Dog PFD and Dog Life Vest. The deepest range, in mens-bright colours — blue, white, yellow, pink. Sized small through large with good shape adjustment. Follow Dog Floating Aid and Dog Life Vest. Fitted cut with reinforced grab handle on top. The Floating Aid is the lower-profile option in black or pink; the Dog Life Vest steps up coverage in black or teal. Connelly Dog Life Vest. Bigger-dog focus — the right pick for retrievers, kelpies and larger breeds. Radar Dog Life Vest. Matches the Radar boat-owner aesthetic; standard sizing range. The grab handle on top. The most important feature to look for. It’s how you get a wet, panicked dog back into the boat without grabbing fur or pulling at a collar. Every quality dog vest in this range has one; cheaper vests often don’t. Don’t skip this. High-vis colours. Yellow, pink, orange and bright teal make a dog vastly easier to spot in the water than dark colours. Worth considering when picking colour — visibility matters more than matching your boat. Leashes and collars. The Follow Dog Leash and Radar Dog Collar are for around-the-boat use — keeping your dog tethered on deck during transit. Not for use in the water; if your dog goes overboard, you don’t want them attached to anything that could tangle. Care. Rinse with fresh water after every use to clear salt and sand, then air-dry out of direct sun. Same routine as any neoprene gear.