Type I to Type V

The five types graded devices by intended use. Type I was offshore, bulky and capable of turning most unconscious wearers face up. Type II was near-shore. Type III was the flotation aid for calm inland water and the category almost every fishing vest fell into. Type IV was a throwable cushion or ring. Type V was special-use with conditions attached.

The scheme was replaced because the numbers described a use case rather than a measurable property, and because they did not align with international standards.

Type III maps closely onto Level 70. Jackets carrying the old labels remain legal.

The mapping is approximate rather than exact, since the old types described intended use and the new levels describe measured buoyancy. Two Type III vests could have quite different flotation and both carried the same label.

You will see both schemes on shelves for years yet, because retailers sell through old stock and manufacturers phased the change in gradually.