AFTER FLYING AN EXTENDED OVERWATER OP ON A DOMESTIC RTE; THE CAPT DISCOVERS; PRIOR TO HIS RETURN TRIP; THAT HIS ACFT IS NOT EQUIPPED FOR THAT TYPE OF OP AS SPECIFIED IN FAR PART 121 PT 339 FOR A DEP FROM TPA; FL.

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I WAS SCHEDULED TO FY DFW-TPA. I REVIEWED THE FLT PLAN; NOTING THE ROUTING OVERWATER AND CHKED THAT I HAD THE RIGHT AIRPLANE -- WHICH I DID. I ALSO MADE THE MENTAL NOTE TO INCLUDE THE OVERWATER ASPECT OF THE FLT TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS; EXCEPT THAT SOMEHOW I DIDN'T END UP TELLING THEM WHEN I GOT TO THE ACFT AND BRIEFED THEM. I DON'T KNOW WHY I DIDN'T. UPON BRIEFING THE FLT ATTENDANTS OF THE OVERWATER ROUTING; I REALIZED MY OMISSION ON THE PREVIOUS LEG. THE FLT ATTENDANTS ACKNOWLEDGED THE ROUTING AND CHKED THE ACFT FOR VESTS AND RAFTS; WHICH THEY DID NOT FIND. A QUICK CALL TO DISPATCH GOT THE FLT RERTED BACK WITHIN 50 MI OF LAND AND WE LEFT. WHILE I REALIZE THAT THIS IS MY RESPONSIBILITY; I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK THE PROPER BRIEFING DOESN'T GET MADE FROM TIME-TO-TIME. PERHAPS THE FLT ATTENDANT WX BRIEFING COULD INCLUDE AN INDICATION OF OVERWATER PLANNING IN ORDER TO BACK UP OTHERS. UNDERSTAND THAT A PHYSICAL CHK OF VESTS IS NOT A REQUIREMENT DOMESTICALLY; BUT SINCE MY CREW CHKED ANYWAY; I HAVE TO THINK PERHAPS OTHER ACFT MAY HAVE HAD THEIR LIFE VESTS REMOVED AS WELL.