Coastguard’s water safety initiative Old4New heads to Whanganui

Old4New is returning to Whanganui this summer, exchanging old lifejackets for new ones at a discounted price. Photo / Supplied

Coastguard’s Old4New programme is heading to Whanganui to promote safety on the water this summer.

Old4New offers the opportunity to trade in old lifejackets for a discount on a new Hutchwilco lifejacket.

Whanganui Coastguard president Mike Carson said many people were using lifejackets beyond their use-by date.

“So it’s a case of making sure we get the right lifejackets,” he said.

Lifejackets have a useful life of about 10 years, but this can be shorter depending on use.

“Some of the really old ones people have are the old kapok ones, which, once they’re in the water, absorb the water and they have less ability to keep someone afloat.

“Some of the newer inflatable lifejackets, if they haven’t been serviced regularly, quite often have a small CO2 cylinder in them and if they haven’t been serviced they corrode, and when you go to use them they don’t operate.

“Some of them are just old and not suitable, they just wear out.”

Coastguard says more than 22,000 lifejackets have been swapped during the past decade.

Old4New takes lifejackets in any state and various types of jackets are available for discount, tailored for various sports and ages.

A $30 discount is offered on any lifejacket when an old lifejacket is swapped.

Fitting assistance, servicing and additional water safety education will also be available at this event.

Meanwhile, Carson was urging everyone out on the water to put trip reports in.

Trip reports allow the local Coastguard to be aware when someone is potentially in trouble on the water by having an expected return time.

“Last summer we ended up with a few jetskis that got in trouble up the river and it took us a while to be notified that they were having a problem,” he said.

“We’re out there to help people. It doesn’t matter what your waka is, we’re out there to make sure people come home safe – that’s our mission.”

Old4New is on in Whanganui on January 24 from 11am to 4pm.

For anyone unable to make this time, the Whanganui Boating Centre will be offering the swap and discount from January 23 to 30.

Old4New programme details and Coastguard trip report forms can be found at coastguard.nz

Olivia Reid is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.