I've been to four lift raft inflation parties to give crews the
experience of inflating and climbing in before they were sent for
repacking.

Liferaft rep in this region says that's a bad idea if the raft is going
to be returned to service; cylinder inflation stresses the raft
unnecessarily. Rafts are slowly inflated with compressors at repack
centers.

That being said, I've been to 5 inflation demonstrations; one didn't
work so well. It was a design that is plastic vacuum sealed in a
"baggie" in the valise with a breakaway shoestring type closure on the
valise; some "shoestrings" didn't break and the rep had to jump in
there with a knife before the raft tore itself up.

On 1 Apr 2006 22:37:12 -0800, "Mark" wrote:

I've been to 5 inflation demonstrations; one didn't
work so well. It was a design that is plastic vacuum sealed in a
"baggie" in the valise with a breakaway shoestring type closure on the
valise; some "shoestrings" didn't break and the rep had to jump in
there with a knife before the raft tore itself up.

My raft is packed that way. Do you know what kind it was?

"Mark" wrote

Liferaft rep in this region says that's a bad idea if the raft is
going
to be returned to service; cylinder inflation stresses the raft
unnecessarily. Rafts are slowly inflated with compressors at repack
centers.

These were all rafts from hard working commercial boats. They are
only allowed so many repacks and I think these were probably headed
for the great repacking center in the sky. That probably skewed the
results. Still, they were taken off in service and it was sobering.

One interesting lesson. A big, strong guy on a warm summer day tried
to inflate one by pulling out yards of painter (50 man raft). By the
time he got it all out and pulled hard enough to inflate it, he was
too exhausted to get himself into it.

--

Roger Long