Personal flotation devices

Here's an important safety challenge for you!...  Wearing your inflatable personal flotation device (lifejacket), imagine you have accidentally gone over the side of the boat, and both the automatic water-sensing mechanism (if one is fitted) and the manual pull-cord fail to discharge the CO2 cartridge to inflate the lifejacket's bladder.  (This is what happened to the crew overboard victim in last year's Chicago-Mac race.)  

Now, open the cover of the lifejacket, locate the blow tube (hint - it's on the left side), and blow up the bladder.  It will take only about 4 or 5 breaths, and a valve automatically holds the air inside.  For extra credit, locate the strobe light and the whistle attached to the lifejacket.  For even more extra credit, do the whole operation with your eyes closed!

Not so awfully difficult on dry land or in the bathtub or even on a calm, warm day on the lake, but be prepared to do this while treading water in a cold, dark, angry sea!