Life jackets have become highly specialized, so investing in your own, rather than using whatever a boat may have available, is a good idea. You can customize the fit, but more importantly you can familiarize yourself with how it works and know that routine maintenance has been performed. Inflatable life jackets work well for many kinds of sailing. Decide what features are most important to you and choose accordingly. The Deckvest 5D auto-inflation life jacket includes a water-activated LED light, bladder illumination lights, crotch straps, a spray hood and a safety line attachment point. $369, www.spinlock.co.uk