Types of Life Rafts for Recreational Boats
In the United States, life rafts that are used on recreational boats fall in to three broad categories:
Inshore
Inshore covers lakes, bays and sounds where one can expect rescue within a very short period of time. Being in Western Washington, the Puget Sound is my closest example where an inshore product might be the correct choice.
Common features of inshore products:
- Small pack size
- Light weight
- Normally no canopy
- Ballast pockets are not always found
- Single buoyancy tube
- Packed in a soft valise for stowing in a locker
Coastal
If you are boating around the perimeter of the United States within helicopter rescue distance from the shore you should consider a "coastal" life raft. Of the three categories of life rafts this is the one with the most variation in products offered and you also have a USCG approved "Coastal" life raft designed for commercial fishing vessels confusing the mix.
Common features of coastal products:
- Some form of redundancy in the buoyancy tubes either by two tubes or one tube with bulkheads
- Ballast pockets (but usually smaller or less in number than an offshore raft)
- Self erecting canopy
- Non-insulated floor
- Webbing boarding ladder
- Minimal equipment pack
- Packed either in a hard container for mounting on deck or a soft valise for stowing in a locker
Offshore
Perhaps the simplest category to figure out. Going to Hawaii, you need an offshore life raft.
Common features of offshore products:
- Twin tubes
- Insulated floor
- Boarding ramps are common rather than webbing boarding ladders
- Large ballast pockets
- Self-erecting canopy
- Extensive equipment pack
- Packed either in a hard container for mounting on deck or a soft valise for stowing in a locker