Life Rafts Complying with ISO 9650 or ISAF Regulations
If you are planning on racing your sailboat offshore, these are the rafts for you. All of these products are designed for use on ocean voyages with the addition of an abandon ship bag. The regulations require that they are equipped with insulating floors, boarding platforms, full redundancy in their buoyancy tubes, a self erecting canopy and an effective ballasting system. Additionally the regulations specify a minimum equipment pack.
All three of the manufacturers we represent offer rafts in this classification. As with all of their products, Switlik has the strongest hard container if you are going to mount the raft on deck. Winslow will provide you with the smallest and lightest pack. Zodiac has the widest range of products in both carrying capacity and container or soft valise options. Zodiac also has a container which can be mounted on its side or end if necessary. Should you need help figuring out which raft best meets your needs please give us a call at (800) 343-5826 or (253) 627-6000.
We get questioned as to why there are two standards, ISO and ISAF. ISO, the International Organization for Standardization is comprised of representatives from countries all around the world. They set standards which are then adopted by countries (in the US by ASTM). The ISO process is technically proficient and by its nature, slow. Sailboat racing did not have a good standard for life rafts and rather than wait for the ISO process the sailing community in Europe came up with the ISAF regulation. Much of the technical components were drawn from commercial life raft requirements but there are major holes in the ISAF standard such as the lack of a fabric standard. This process was done without input from the life raft manufacturers so there are a places where the requirement does not make much sense.
The other big difference between these two standards and what is required on commercial vessels is in how the end product is approved. For a commercial life raft there is design review by the United States Coast Guard (for rafts approved in the US) and pre-production testing by an independent lab. During production there is continued oversight by the USCG and independent labs. The ISO and ISAF standard is one where the manufacturer self-certifies the product and there is no required oversight by the Coast Guard or other independent agency.
This does not mean that you really should have a USCG approved product. All three of the manufacturers we represent produce products that require outside oversight. Switlik builds USCG approved products along with life vests for use on commercial airplanes. Zodiac also builds USCG approved life rafts and rafts for many other flag states. Winslow has FAA approval for producing life rafts.
Sea-Safe
4 Person Standard Offshore Life Raft in Soft Valise
Part number: SEA0804V
Price: $1,959.00 More...
Sea-Safe
4 Person Self Righting Offshore Life Raft in Soft Valise
Part number: SEA0904V
Price: $2,114.00 More...
Sea-Safe
4 Person Standard Offshore Life Raft in Hard Container
Part number: SEA0804C
Price: $2,114.00 More...
Sea-Safe
4 Person Self Righting Offshore Life Raft in Hard Container
Part number: SEA0904C
Price: $2,269.00 More...
Winslow
4 Person ISO 9650-1 Life Raft in Soft Valise
Part number: WINISOGR.4V
Price: $5,175.00 More...
Winslow
4 Person ISO 9650-1 Life Raft in Hard Container with Cradle
Part number: WINISOGR.4C
Price: $5,773.00 More...
Sea-Safe
6 Person Standard Offshore Life Raft in Soft Valise
Part number: SEA0806V
Price: $2,114.00 More...
Sea-Safe
6 Person Standard Offshore Life Raft in Hard Container
Part number: SEA0806C
Price: $2,269.00 More...
Sea-Safe
6 Person Self Righting Offshore Life Raft in Soft Valise
Part number: SEA0906V
Price: $2,269.00 More...
Sea-Safe
6 Person Self Righting Offshore Life Raft in Hard Container
Part number: SEA0906C
Price: $2,423.00 More...
Winslow
6 Person ISO 9650-1 Life Raft in Soft Valise
Part number: WINISOGR.6V
Price: $5,375.00 More...
Switlik
6 Person MD-3 Raft in Soft Valise
Part number: SPC0980
Price: $5,596.00 More...
Switlik
6 Person MD-3 Raft in Hard Container
Part number: SPC0981
Price: $5,688.00 More...
Winslow
6 Person ISO 9650-1 Life Raft in Hard Container with Cradle
Part number: WINISOGR.6C
Price: $5,973.00 More...
Sea-Safe
8 Person Standard Offshore Life Raft in Soft Valise
Part number: SEA0808V
Price: $2,269.00 More...
Sea-Safe
8 Person Standard Offshore Life Raft in Hard Container
Part number: SEA0808C
Price: $2,423.00 More...
Sea-Safe
8 Person Self Righting Offshore Life Raft in Soft Valise
Part number: SEA0908V
Price: $2,423.00 More...
Sea-Safe
8 Person Self Righting Offshore Life Raft in Hard Container
Part number: SEA0908C
Price: $2,629.00 More...
Winslow
8 Person ISO 9650-1 Life Raft in Soft Valise
Part number: WINISOGR.8V
Price: $5,575.00 More...
Winslow
8 Person ISO 9650-1 Life Raft in Hard Container with Cradle
Part number: WINISOGR.8C
Price: $6,173.00 More...
Winslow
10 Person ISO 9650-1 Life Raft in Soft Valise
Part number: WINISOGR.10V
Price: $5,975.00 More...
Winslow
10 Person ISO 9650-1 Life Raft in Hard Container with Cradle
Part number: WINISOGR.10C
Price: $6,573.00 More...
Winslow
12 Person ISO 9650-1 Life Raft in Soft Valise
Part number: WINISOGR.12V
Price: $6,295.00 More...
Winslow
12 Person ISO 9650-1 Life Raft in Hard Container with Cradle
Part number: WINISOGR.12C
Price: $6,893.00 More...