Boat trips - life jackets?

[thecathasbeenfed]

We're going to Croatia this year on holiday and I'd like to have a boat trip on my son's birthday to visit the blue lagoon caves and to do some snorkelling.

There are various boat tour companies on TripAdvisor, all in small ish speed boats rather than large boats.

In the pictures no one is wearing a life jacket. This seems odd to me, but I'm not sure whether I'm overly worrying about safety. My son's are not really young (tween and teen) but I'd definitely feel more comfortable with them wearing life jackets but it doesn't seem to be the done thing?

Has anyone been on boat trips in Croatia?

Been on lots of boat trips around the world. All different sizes. Only put a life jacket on to do water sports. Not for just sitting in a boat.

If you are just sitting I think they just have them under the seat and in lockers not worn during the trip

What kind of boat trip?

When DC were small we went on this yellow jet boat pictured in the link and they were put in life jackets. As I was on FB at the time I’d put a photo on of ‘our day out’ and a relative from another country actually commented that no adults were in life jackets. He said that wouldn’t be allowed where he was, it hadn’t entered my head at the time but it does strike me as ridiculous they aren’t a legal requirement.

https://www.southportmarinelake.com/

For an open speed boat I'd expect and want a life jacket, and the companies near us (Britain) insist upon them for all passengers, albeit the small harness ones that open on contact with water, rather than bulky pre-inflated ones.

A speed boat can flip suddenly due to a rogue wave in a way that's much less likely on a bigger boat.

One of the ones we're looking at is this one:

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/AttractionReview-g651685-d12491947-Reviews-IslanddTravelBrac-SupetarrBracIslanddSplitDalmatiaaCounty_Dalmatia.html

Amazing reviews but no life jacket to be seen!

I wouldn't get in a speed boat like that without a life jacket.

Ok that's made me feel better as I thought I was being overly anxious about it.

I'm not sure what to do, I've promised DS a boat trip to do snorkelling but none of them look as though they provide life jackets.

Perhaps I'll email a few to see what they say.

They can't make you wear one, but they do have to have them available (and it's usually recommended).

Just talk to the company and let them know.

There is usually an age restriction so kids under a certain age have to have a lifejacket while on 'open decks'.
You can always request to wear one if that makes you feel more comfortable. Any company that won't let you, I wouldn't trust them anyways.

It won't be a private trip, there would be another family in the boat and I just know that my kids will be so embarrassed if they have life jackets on and the other people don't.. I'll just have to put my foot down though.

That's a good point.

There will be life jackets to wear if you ask. We hire boats fairly often and people wearing life jackets all the time, even when swimming or just sitting in the boat is not at all unusual to see.

Other people only wear them to take the boat out of the harbour and bring it back in again.

That's reassuring thank you.

I'd much rather go on a bigger boat but it doesn't look like an option where we are staying (Supetar).