Turakina inventor floats new design

SUMMER SAFE: John Aldersley with the lifejacket he's designed. PHOTO/JOHN MASLIN

Put John Aldersley in a boat and he's all at sea but, despite that, he's developed and just begun marketing a lifejacket he believes is unique.

Mr Aldersley is a director of Sales Pitch, a company based at his home in the Turakina Valley. As an importer and distributor of safety gear around the country, getting involved in lifejackets was new territory for him.

"But I had this idea of a neoprene jacket with a zip-off collar and that's the thing that makes this unique. As far as I know there's no one in the world doing this," he said.
He isn't one for boating because he said he gets "crazily sea sick" but said he saw a need for the jacket.

His lifejackets are currently manufactured in Asia but he's hoping a contact he has in Fiji could see production move there soon. A friend has been making lifejackets for at least 20 years and is keen to move in to that sort of production run.

Without the collar, Mr Aldersley's jacket is fairly standard. It's the detachable collar that marks the difference.

"Neoprene is more comfortable to wear and more buoyant than nylon jackets and also gives thermal protection as well," he said.

But being able to take the collar off means it can be used for water sports, jet skiing and kayaking.

"You can get nylon jackets with a fixed collar which gives added buoyancy but I thought 'Why not have a two-in-one design where you can use it without the collar for water sports and then zip the collar back on when you go head out fishing'?"

He has unloaded stock in recent days and has four businesses selling the jackets in the Whanganui area. They include Wanganui Farm Supplies, Marine Services, Wilsons Hunting and Outdoors and Mitre 10 Wanganui. He aims to find outlets across the country.

Lifejackets range in price from $150 to $200. Mr Aldersley said his will sell in that range but has the flexibility of the removable collar.

The jacket's available in four adult sizes from medium through to XXL.

He said the jacket meets ISO international safety standards and that means it was accepted by Maritime NZ.

"In the light of the latest boating tragedy at Kaipara and summer coming, my invention's a reminder to boaties to actually 'wear' their lifejackets, not just have them on board," he said.