Have you watched a video of your liferaft inflating?

Bene505 · #1 (**permalink**) 01-13-2012

Have you watched a video of your liferaft inflating? Or have you seen a similar type inflating? Maybe you've practiced with it already.

Recently I came across a video of my liferaft inflating, above. (I think it's the same kind anyway.) This led me to ask the question. It seems a useful thing to know about.

Regards,
Brad

Please click all that apply. Note that the last choice(s) are a little different from the others.

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Minnewaska · #2 (**permalink**) 01-13-2012

Day one of the Safety at Sea program contains an inflating demo. We dropped a 6 place off the dock, inflated it and discussed what to do, if it inflated upside down. Day two, you board it from the water.

I highly recommend a real life demo for all. Any raft that is occupied to capacity will have everyone with their knees in their chest and literally touching shoulders. It's cramped, it's claustrophobic, it's hot and it's uncomfortable. Getting aboard is exhausting and I can hardly imagine how one would do so, if injured.

When you send yours in for reconditioning, your shop will probably let you attend when they inflate it. LRSE in RI actually encourages you to be there. In fact, they teach the segment in the course.

treilley · #3 (**permalink**) 01-13-2012

Great post. Thanks for the reminder.

Arpegecap · #4 (**permalink**) 01-13-2012

Saw mine inflate when it was being serviced. Never had to use it otherwise -thankfully!

Bene505 · #5 (**permalink**) 01-13-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minnewaska

...When you send yours in for reconditioning, your shop will probably let you attend when they inflate it. LRSE in RI actually encourages you to be there. In fact, they teach the segment in the course.

I think I called those guys awhile back. If you want them to, they'll put something in the raft for your kids, like a teddy bear or something.

Life Raft and Survival Equipment: Life Rafts, EPIRBS, PFDs, Safety Equipment

Regards,
Brad

Minnewaska · #6 (**permalink**) 01-13-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bene505

I think I called those guys awhile back. If you want them to, they'll put something in the raft for your kids, like a teddy bear or something.

Life Raft and Survival Equipment: Life Rafts, EPIRBS, PFDs, Safety Equipment

Regards,
Brad

I'm not surprised. I've known them to be very helpful. Although, I hope to never have to calm kids down with teddy bears in a liferaft.

tommays · #7 (**permalink**) 01-13-2012

When you send yours in for reconditioning, your shop will probably let you attend when they inflate it. LRSE in RI actually encourages you to be there. In fact, they teach the segment in the course.

The owner of the boat i race on always does the repack in person

Minnewaska · #8 (**permalink**) 01-13-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by tommays

When you send yours in for reconditioning, your shop will probably let you attend when they inflate it. LRSE in RI actually encourages you to be there. In fact, they teach the segment in the course.

The owner of the boat i race on always does the repack in person

Goodness, it may be lifesaving equip, but it's not a parachute. The pros are pretty good at it. I've heard of rafts that don't inflate or have problems, but never one that was properly cared for and within certification.

The raft on my boat was out of date when I bought her. Cost a grand to recertify and vacuum pack. Good for three years, but the race requires less than 12 months.

tommays · #9 (**permalink**) 01-14-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minnewaska

Goodness, it may be lifesaving equip, but it's not a parachute. The pros are pretty good at it. I've heard of rafts that don't inflate or have problems, but never one that was properly cared for and within certification.

The raft on my boat was out of date when I bought her. Cost a grand to recertify and vacuum pack. Good for three years, but the race requires less than 12 months.

Its pretty expensive to ship it round trip

so its arranged to be taken to the service center and done while waiting

billyruffn · #10 (**permalink**) 01-14-2012

My mate and I took our Winslow raft to the factory in Florida one year. Not only did we watch it inflate, but we sat in it for a while to get familiar with how it was fitted out.

Before you go and pull the lanyard, the Winslow factory team told us that inflation of the raft with the CO2 cylinder will shorted its life -- something about the really cold gas. They inflate rafts with a compressor.