For families who love the water, there are nearly as many ways to enjoy it as there are fish in the sea. Whether your family paddles in quiet water, zooms around in a powerboat, or cruises the bay in a sailboat, the one nonnegotiable accessory for your kids is a US Coast Guard–approved life jacket.Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4, and life jackets are an important component of the layers of protection recommended to keep kids safe around water. Precise regulations vary state by state, but the gist is that all kids in the US must wear life jackets on recreational boats. Experts also recommend them for certain scenarios when swimming in open water.For this guide, I aimed to find solidly constructed and well-fitting life jackets that are so comfortable, kids can wear them for hours and still have unencumbered (but supervised) fun in the sun and waves.