Everyone on board a leisure boat 6m or less in length in New Zealand must now wear a properly-fitted lifejacket.

New rules took effect from 9 October, which are ‘expected to save 12 lives a year.’

Water Safety New Zealand chief executive Glen Scanlon has called it a “seatbelt moment” for lifejackets.

He said: “The change in the law effectively shifts from having to carry them on your boat, to you having to actually wear it.

“So a lot of people out there are already set up.

“All they need to do is always have it on.”

He said lifejackets should fit “snug as a hug”, and explained: “With a lifejacket, you shouldn’t really be able to get more than two fingers up into the shoulder, so then you know it’s a good fit.”

Scanlon advised boaters to choose a lifejacket with a crotch strap to stop the safety equipment slipping off in the water. They are also required on all children’s lifejackets.

For any vessel 6m in length or less, wearing a well-fitted lifejacket is mandatory if the recreational craft is “under way” for motorboats, dinghies, sailboats, kayaks and jet skis.

There are practical exemptions for surfers and stand-up paddleboarders while in the surf zone.

‍Tragically, 90% of craft-related drowning deaths in 2024 involved individuals not wearing lifejackets.

Scanlon said: “In the past 25 years a total of 441 lives were lost in craft-related incidents – the fact that 336 of these people were not wearing a lifejacket is just overwhelming.

We can save lives through this legislation change.”

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