Switlik OPR Offshore Passage Life Raft

Switlik’s OPR is a high-quality, lightweight, modern version of the offshore life raft, with a convertible canopy system for easy boarding, a Toroidal Stability Device for stability and a heat-sealed construction. The OPR provides 1,350 lbs. of inflated buoyancy and 24 sq. ft. of floor area and offers excellent ventilation, as well as, total protection from the elements.

Serious thought went into every detail and component of the OPR’s design. From the soothing blue interior and ventilated canopy that help to prevent sea sickness and allow for 360° of visibility, to the reflective components and stabilizing features, the OPR was designed with your comfort and safety in mind. The OPR is vacuum sealed with an air charge inside either a soft valise or hard fiberglass container. Both options are compact enough to be carried aboard a boat of any size and handled by any passenger.

• 5 Year service inteval
• Ballasting options of 4 weighted ballast bags or a full wrap around Torodial Stability Device (TSD).
• Four (4) wide, sturdy steps and stiffened rung ladders allow you to easily climb over the twin tubes from any side, even wearing a life jacket
• Twin independent buoyancy tubes - The high freeboard keeps the water out while the independent chambers provide redundancy in case of a tube failure
• Exterior light that is activated upon raft deployment
• SOLAS-grade reflective tape and patches located all around the raft
• Lightweight, double-coated (inside and out) urethane fabric provides superior abrasion resistance.
• Air Charge Inflation System with viewable ports.
• Heat Sealed Technology
• Convertible Canopy System
• Stowage pocket on the valise for additional gear

There is no one universal method of rating raft capacities (see here). In fact, there are several different methods and governmental agencies worldwide that rate the capacity of a life raft based on the following criteria: usable floor area, inflated buoyancy, size of an average individual, and their concept of how long someone might be in the raft before rescue, not to mention how you find yourself to be there, i.e. from a sinking vessel or a ditched aircraft.

As a result, SWITLIK takes the position that a life raft's capacity is truly defined by its total size in floor area and inflated buoyancy. How many "people" that translates into depends upon your usage and interpretation of the above criteria. A raft that might safely support 6 or 8 people in an emergency for 24 hours will seem a lot smaller for a transoceanic passage where rescue might be weeks in coming.