The difference is simply that a buoyancy vest (a waistcoat with foam on the inside) will help keep you afloat but only a life jacket will keep your head above water if you fall unconscious.
This critical point of difference was highlighted in a tragedy in Scotland earlier this year when a man and three children died on Loch Gairloch near Ullapool when their Canadian canoe capsized.
Another man and his eight year old daughter managed to swim 500 metres to safety. The men were not wearing life jackets and the children wore only buoyancy vests. Continue Reading
