Two women on a mission to educate Kiwis about the dangers of old life jackets

Travelling the length of the country in a Coastguard van two women are out to swap dangerous old life jackets for new ones.

Since before Christmas last year Coastguard Boating Education's Sue Tucker and Mary Miller have taken over 3000 unusable life jackets out of commission and swapped them for new ones.

"There are some ignorant people but I really think everyone can be educated," says Ms Miller.

Along their journey they have discovered some shocking excuses for life jackets, including jackets with no foam, holes and one that was 60 years old. 

"At the end of the day, everyone wants to see their mate or family member come home," says safety educator, Sue Tucker.