Before we get into it, a quick gut check. When did we last actually look at our buoyancy aids and lifejackets? Not glance at them on the way out of the locker, but properly check them over. For most of us the honest answer is “longer than I’d like to admit.” This recall is a good reason to do it now.

Helly Hansen has recalled a number of its buoyancy aids because they may not provide enough buoyancy, or enough turning support, to be relied on. The Office for Product Safety and Standards has issued the formal recall, and the RYA has listed it on its product recall page.

What changed?

A recall went out for a group of Helly Hansen buoyancy aids that do not meet the standard they are certified to. In plain terms, a buoyancy aid is meant to do two jobs: keep enough of us afloat, and help bring us the right way up in the water. The affected products may fall short on both, which is why this is being treated as a serious risk of drowning rather than a minor fault.

The official reference is OPSS recall 2605-0143, listed by the RYA with an alert date of 12 June 2026. No incidents or injuries have been reported, which is good, but the recall stands regardless.

The models affected are:

• 33818 Sport II, size XXS (30 to 40 kg), and only certain serial numbers: 271011, 271012, 272150, 271612, 275325, 275969, 279873, 281286, 291307
• 33811 Comfort Compact 50N, all sizes, all serial numbers
• 34258 Rider Kayak Vest (also listed as Rider Qajaq/Kayak Vest), all sizes, all serial numbers
• 34240 Rider Foil Race, all sizes, all serial numbers

The serial number lives on the waist sew-in label, so that is where to look.

Who does it affect?

Anyone with one of those Helly Hansen buoyancy aids in the affected models. That is more likely to be dinghy sailors, kayakers, foilers, and anyone who keeps a buoyancy aid aboard for guests or kids, than the skipper in an offshore lifejacket. But it is worth a look across the whole household, because this kit gets shared, handed down, and borrowed all the time.

A quick word on the difference. A buoyancy aid is designed to help a conscious, capable swimmer stay afloat, and it gives us a bit of freedom to move, which is why dinghy sailors and paddlers wear them. A lifejacket does more: it is built to turn an unconscious person face up and hold their airway clear of the water. They are not the same bit of kit, and they are not interchangeable. This recall is about buoyancy aids specifically, so it does not touch most yacht lifejackets, but it is a good prompt to know which one we are actually wearing and why.

What does it mean in practice?

If we own one of the recalled models, we treat it as not fit for use from now on. Not “fine for one more sail,” not “fine in shallow water.” The whole point of the gear is the day it goes wrong, and a buoyancy aid that cannot be relied on to keep us afloat is no longer doing its job.

Helly Hansen is offering a refund or online credit, so there is no cost to putting it right beyond a few minutes of admin.

What should you do now?

Stop using any affected buoyancy aid straight away.

Check the model and serial number on the waist sew-in label against the list above.

If it matches, contact Helly Hansen at recall@hellyhansen.com to arrange a refund or credit, and follow their instructions to destroy the buoyancy aid so it cannot be used again by mistake.

While the locker is open, check the rest of our kit too. Look over every lifejacket and buoyancy aid for worn straps, seized buckles, and on inflatable lifejackets a fired or corroded gas cylinder and an in-date rearming kit. It is the kind of five-minute job that quietly saves lives.