MARINE RAFTS

Marine Life Rafts

The Life Raft Store proudly carries High Grade Marine Life Rafts For Sale like IBA Rafts, Solas, Switlik, Superior, and Revere. In addition, we also offer a select number of Winslow Life Rafts, such as Global Rescue, Offshore and Offshore Plus. These life rafts are trusted by mariners to keep them safe and protect their crew, no matter the size of their vessel. All our life rafts in our “Marine Life Rafts For Sale” selection are certified by the factory and dated to current specifications and service standards. Our wide selection of life rafts can be ordered in either a soft Valise or with a Hard Container to mount on your boat with a matching cradle. Take it a step further and choose to have your life raft self-release with the use of a Hydrostatic Cutter.

Why Use a Hydrostatic Cutter for my Marine Life Rafts For Sale?

Have your marine life raft safely stored away in the matching cradle, and available to you at a moment's notice with the use of a Hydrostatic Cutter. With a Hydro Cutter, your marine life raft will remain in its cradle until needed. Once the raft drops under 8 feet of water, your hydro cutter will activate, which will release and inflate your raft automatically. This method allows you and your crew to safely stow your marine life raft where it is out of the way but never out of reach. This is especially important for vessels with many moving parts, or a particularly busy crew such as sailboats. Sailboat owners will want to mount their life rafts on the raft railing closest to them. If their life raft is mounted on the deck of their boat, they run the risk of it getting caught in the rigging, rendering it unavailable if it were to be needed. It is always important to mount your raft away from sails and rigging, and in a place where it can be easily accessed.

What if my Commercial Boat Requires a Larger Raft to Accommodate a Larger Crew?

Our selection at The Life Raft Store can accommodate crews of all sizes. If you are a commercial boat looking for a marine life raft, you will want to look at IBA or Inflatable Buoyant Apparatus Rafts. These rafts are specifically designed for commercial sailor and their vessel. Our selection of Inflatable Buoyant Apparatus rafts ranges from 4 man-size to 150 man-size, each with unique cradle and canister assemblies. The life raft store understands the laws and regulations that your business is required to follow. Our team of experts will help you to determine which marine life raft is best suited for your vessel and your crew’s needs.

When looking for a marine life raft for sale for your vessel, trust no other than the professionals at The Life Raft Store. Be sure you are purchasing a life raft online that you can trust, not from the “blank blank” store that may be selling you supplies that are not regulated. We at the Life Raft store are subject experts. We will help you to determine your survival needs and wishes, and then pair you and your crew with the perfect life raft to suit those needs.

What to Look for in Marine Life Rafts For Sale

SOLAS-Approved Marine Life Rafts For Sale vs. Other Rafts

When purchasing a product that will be used to keep you alive in an emergency, it only makes sense to get one that meets those highest standards available for comparison. SOLAS standards are very strict, as they are with all SOLAS-approved gear. SOLAS standards require that approved rafts have a boarding platform, additional safety gear, and considerably more interior space than commercial-grade models.

Ballast

Most flat-bottomed survival rafts use a combination of water-filled ballast pockets and a cone-shaped sea anchor on a long (60' or more) line to prevent capsizing. The filled pockets resist the lifting action of wind and waves, and the anchor adds drag to keep the raft edge down. Toroidal-shaped and hemispheric ballast systems have proven most effective in preventing heavy-weather capsize. Bags with large holes for rapid filling also help keep the raft from blowing over before passengers can board.

Anchors

The sea anchor is an integral part of the stability design. It creates drag, prevents "riding", reduces the chances of capsizing, and turns the raft's hatch away from oncoming waves. Buoyancy Tubes Marine Life Rafts For Sale come with either one or two automatically inflating buoyancy tubes. Short-term survival coastal rafts have one tube with two air chambers to prevent complete deflation in the event of a puncture. Double-tubed rafts found on all offshore and ocean-going rafts increase freeboard and reduce the likelihood of swamping. The second tube should support two-thirds of the raft's rated capacity when the largest buoyancy chamber is completely deflated.

Painter

When secured to your boat, the painter keeps the raft from floating away, and when pulled, it activates the inflation mechanism. More than one pull is usually needed to activate inflation because there is between 15-55' of slack to take in. Many painters have a colored marker indicating that the next pull will activate the carbon dioxide (CO2) cartridge to inflate the raft.

Manual Inflation

Temperature changes cause raft air pressure to fluctuate. When hot, the tubes expand and excess air pressure is released through the over-inflation valves. When cool, the tubes contract and will require topping off. Three types of manual pumps are available: an oral inflation tube, which is next to impossible to use effectively; a foot pump which doesn't work well on the inflated rubber floor; and an accordion-like hand pump that is, by far, the easiest to use.

Canopies

Although canopies shield survivors from sun, wind, and water, they can leave crowded passengers feeling claustrophobic and sick because of the reduced view of the horizon and, in some cases, a notorious rubber interior smell. Canopies with large entryways, portholes, and separately furled panels offer greater horizon views and increased ventilation. Double doors increase ventilation and light and make it easier to keep watch. Dark-lined interiors, like blue, are easier on the eyes; they diminish the sun's glare on a bright orange canopy. Canopies are supported by arches that keep the raft from inflating upside down and allow occupants greater interior room. Some arches are independent of the buoyancy tube and require manual inflation once occupants board. These rafts run a greater risk of inflating upside down but are easier to board from the mother ship.

Storage Containers

Rafts come in either a soft, flexible valise for below-deck storage or a durable fiberglass canister for mounting on deck. Canisters are usually bigger, heavier, and more expensive than valise containers. However, they can be mounted right on the deck, and will withstand the elements. The fabric valise may be lashed on deck for trips, but won't last topside in the long run. Also, be sure to secure it carefully, since it won't do you any good if it goes overboard. Carefully choose the most accessible and convenient location on your boat-account for raft weight and size. Marine Life Rafts For Sale are useless if you can't get to it and safely launch it when you need it. Remember, anyone on board may have to carry it topside, and valuable minutes will be wasted if you have to pull it out of a cluttered locker.

Floors

Rafts have either single or double-layer floors. Double floors insulate passengers from energy-draining cold water, reduce the feeling of sitting on a half-filled water bed by keeping the floor from swallowing your feet and legs and help to eliminate the bumps and bruises from curious marine life. Certain designs secure the additional floor with button-like fasteners that create depressions in the raft floor and allow water to collect. Some floors keep passengers drier using a highly porous material to trap splashed water.

Capacity Ratings

These ratings specify the maximum number of people a raft will hold, based on a minimum of approximately four square feet per person. They do not consider comfort, space needed to perform raft maintenance and repair work, or room to store extra survival gear. If you plan to carry the maximum number on board, you had better hope for a quick rescue.

Marine Life Rafts For Sale

Are you looking for a a marine life raft for sale? Switlik Survival makes a lightweight nylon raft that is easy to handle and if need be, easy to deploy. Switlik rafts come in a Valise case and since the raft is vacuum packed, the size is smaller than most other rafts found in the market. This option for a marine lift raft is light enough to ship across the USA and small enough to fit almost anywhere in your boat.

We package the raft in a Pelican Hard Case. Once your marine life raft is at your location, remove the raft, place in your aircraft, and go on your flight with the peace of mind knowing you will be safe in the event of an emergency knowing you've rented a high-quality aviation raft.

All of our rafts are certified by the factory and dated to current specifications and services.

We are located in Florida, so for those of you going to the Bahamas or farther south, we can also ship to an FBO of your choice and you can pick up the raft on your outbound leg. Located in Melbourne Florida, KMLB, we also can drop your raft off at one of three FBO's here on the field.

Call 321-821-4724 or email the Life Raft Store and see how easy it is to rent a raft for your trip in the Skies or across the ocean. Ask to speak to Ron or Rachel to get started.