AirScotia, Arm hole? When was the course and where? Life vests have a hole for the head and lie on the chest leaving the arms free. You may be confusing a life vest with an immersion suit. If so, the suit should always be put on prior to boarding what is normally a helicopter for an over water trip to, for instance, an oil rig. If people have problems donning an immersion suit on terra firma with no need to rush they must be pretty cackhanded.