Recreational & ISO Life Rafts - 2021 Virtual Boat Show Series

Recreational and ISO approved liferafts are not approved for use on commercial vessels in the U.S., but they do still hold some other important approvals. Many organized events such sailboat races require participants to carry an ISO approved liferaft onboard. If you're looking at purchasing a liferaft to get ready for one of these events you can usually find detailed information about which approvals or equipment type the event organizers are looking for within their safety equipment requirements. Most modern ISO rafts are vacuum bagged inside the container which extends the service interval to once every three years, although some situations or events might dictate a shortened inspection cycle.
ISO approvals are split into two main categories:
ISO 9650-1: These are considered offshore rafts and include sizes from 4 to 12 person capacity, designed for extended voyages, where high wind and significant wave heights may be experienced, but excluding abnormal conditions such as hurricanes. These rafts should be completely self-sufficient and prepared to meet serious emergencies without expectation of outside assistance. Source: International Organization for Standardization (ISO) www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:std:iso:9650:-1:ed-1:v1:en
ISO 9650-2: Raft in this group are commonly called coastal rafts and include sizes from 4 to 10 person capacity. These rafts are designed for voyages where moderate conditions may be met in areas such as, but not limited to, coastal water, large bays, estuaries, lakes and rivers, and have a high degree of self-sufficiency. Source: International Organization for Standardization (ISO) www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:std:iso:9650:-2:ed-1:v1:en
There are basically three equipment pack options to choose from with ISO approved liferafts:
Greater Than 24 Hour: Just like the name suggests, this equipment pack type is intended for voyages that could potentially leave you outside the range of rescue within one day. If you're going way offshore or frequently operating in poor conditions, this is the equipment pack type for you.
Less Than 24 Hour: You guessed it! You could get away with this equipment pack type if your still doing some offshore trips but close enough to civilization that you could expect to be rescued within 24 hours if something went wrong.
Coastal: These are the 9650-2 rafts we just learned about. These rafts have minimal gear included in their equipment pack. If you're travels keep you close to shore and within a reasonable distance from help, this type of raft could be just right for you.
Recreational Liferafts
If you don't relate to any of the scenarios we outlined above, but you still think it's a good idea to have a backup plan out there, then this category is for you! Let's be honest, unless you're Michael Phelps, you're probably boating somewhere that you couldn't swim home from. Recreational rafts don't hold any official approvals, and they usually only require inspection every three years. That doesn't mean it's the wild west and you have no idea if it will work or not, in fact the better brands usually offer warranties of up to 12 years provided you keep up with their recommended servicing schedule. There are a lot of great liferafts available in this range that are just as good as some of the commercial and ISO rafts, and they're usually less expensive because the manufacturers don't need to pay for the expensive approval process.
Recreational rafts are usually available in three types:
Offshore: These rafts are intended for offshore voyages, similar to the ISO 9650-1 rafts. They usually have water or food rations, signaling flares, first aid kit, and the other typical items you would find in an equipment pack. Because there's no set standard for recreational rafts, the exact equipment will vary from one brand and model to another. The biggest things to look for in an offshore raft are an insulated floor and large ballast bags.
Coastal: Coastal rafts usually forgo the rations and most of the flares. There's a lot of variation between manufacturers on coastal rafts but they generally don't have an insulated floor and limited equipment. Coastal rafts are usually the smallest and lightest rafts because of the reduce equipment packed inside the raft.
Platform style & Compact: These are the smallest, lightest and usually the least expensive rafts available. These rafts bridge the gap between floating in the water in a life jacket and taking refuge in a full size liferaft. Usually constructed of a single buoyancy tube and relatively light material, these rafts can be packed in extremely small packages for easy storage and transportation, but that doesn't mean they're just pool toys. Compact rafts can still share some features with their full-size brethren like ballast bags, automatic lights, boarding ladders, and automatic inflation. Some compact rafts even come with a manually erecting canopy to shelter occupants from the sun!

[@markomarten]

I must say it’s one thing to mention life rafts but why not look at it from the safety aspect and not so much on the cost. We can never predict when things will go wrong and being prepared is something we should not take for granted. What type of life raft you require might depend on the vessel and it’s size. I think in some cases it might be worth asking the boat manufacturer what type of equipment they recommend or provide. You can’t necessarily say you will be at sea for a few hours or days in a life raft, it does depend on being lucky to an extent. There’s no real requirement for leisure boats to be run properly and that’s where the trouble starts, sometimes it’s a matter of not doing any checks to see things are in order and stuff is secured so it won’t endanger you or others on the boat. Safety should be the primary focus, a well run boat is always easy to spot. The captain should think of the safety of others as well as for himself. You can’t cut corners when it comes to safety. You must know how many you can safely carry on your vessel and be aware by doing a head count and seeing folk are not being a danger to others or the vessel. Certainly the type of a life raft varies but it’s foolish to buy the cheapest available. Always ask in a marine store and take your time to source the right one for your requirements. What’s included is important too as that can very much impact on your chance of survival. Certainly one that has rations and flares is a good starting point. I personally think a hard case life raft should be the norm on a leisure boat as you cannot remove it by accident and it’s there all the time. Yes it’s something else to get tested but it could save your life. Boats can be fun but also dangerous too, anyone wanting to own a boat should learn about how they can become better over time, we were all new to this at one point. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and see what replies you get. A vessel is an investment and so you must not only protect it but protect yourself and others too.