Flotation jacket

Claim 1

A flotation jacket having front, back, and arm portions with flotation material therein to provide adequate inherent buoyancy for an adult, and a flap secured to the lower terminal edge of the jacket and foldable between a concealed position on the inside of the jacket and a deployed position suspended from the said lower edge of the jacket; said flap, in the deployed position having a main panel for passage between the legs of the wearer and securement to the front of the jacket thereby enclosing the groin area; and a pair of wing panels, one on either side of the main panel, said wing panels being adapted for encirclement of the upper thigh area; and means for securing the panels in their concealed and abdominal enclosing positions; said flap comprising waterproof insulative closed-cell material providing thermal protection to vital heat loss areas in the groin and mid-thigh area of the wearer and limiting access of cold water to other high heat loss areas of the trunk of the body.