35+ years of unsurpassed quality and service
Recreational Life Rafts
Air-Sea offers the same quality life raft service for our yachting consumers that our Commercial customers have come to depend on. From the initial selection of the appropriate life raft to complete safety training and servicing, Air-Sea Safety will ensure that every individual is acquainted with their particular liferaft and each vessel is outfitted properly with all necessary marine safety equipment.
Recreational Life Raft Safety Considerations
The #1 consideration for recreational life rafts is accessibility.
If you wish to store your life raft on deck, a canister model is recommended. It is also recommended that the unit be outfitted with a hydrostatic release unit, which allows the unit to self deploy in the event you are unable to manually deploy the unit.
If you are planning to store your life raft below deck, a valise model is recommended. A valise outfit will be lighter in weight and equipped with handles for manual deployment. However, if below deck make sure you can launch the life raft within 15 seconds or less.
The last resort in the event of an emergency is getting into the water. Sudden entry into the water can induce involuntary gasp reflex, in which water is accidentally inhaled. Even worse, sudden or unexpected entry into the water can cause cardiac arrest a phenomenon known as cold water shock or sudden cold-water immersion. This can happen to even the healthiest of persons.
Hypothermia does and can occur in various water temperatures, not just extremely cold water. Hypothermia can happen in the warmer coastal waters of the South East and Florida (For more information on survival times, see our hypothermia chart below). The goal in any abandon ship scenario is to avoid exposure. A life raft is the only safety device available that can guarantee your survival in any conditions.
Water Temperature Hypothermia Chart
| Water Temperature (°F) | Exhaustion Unconsciousness | Expected Survival Time |
|---|---|---|
| Below 32.5 | Less than 15 minutes | 15 -45 minutes |
| 32.5 - 40.0 | 15 -30 minutes | 30 - 90 minutes |
| 40.0 - 50.0 | 30 - 60 minutes | 1 - 3 hours |
| 50.0 - 60.0 | 1 - 2 hours | 1 - 6 hours |
| 60.0 - 70.0 | 2 - 7 hours | 2 - 40 hours |
| 70.0 - 80.0 | 3 - 12 hours | 3 hours to indefinitely |
Life Raft Training and Service
To service your life raft, bring your unit to our authorized life raft service facility, ship it, or arrange a pick-up. Air-Sea Safety can be contacted by phone at 1-843-723-2722, or online using our Life Raft Service Request form. To schedule a life raft training session, please contact us direct, so that we may make those special accommodations.
Air-Sea Safety has over 35 years’ experience in life raft testing, service and repacking. All repair and inspection personnel are trained and certified individually by each manufacturer. Dock side pick up and delivery available.
Class Approvals
