Well-known for the finest marine and aviation life rafts in the industry, WINSLOW Life Raft Company’s combination of superior quality with extremely lightweight and compact design has gone unmatched for over 70 years. Each raft is custom built using the latest technology for a high-quality, life-saving raft. The company originally built life rafts for the Allied Forces in World War II.
After Fred Shoaff acquired the Florida company, he discovered weight and manageability were sticking points for many traditional life rafts. Strength, durability, and seaworthiness with a lightweight and compact design became WINSLOW’s new goal and eventually, their standard. Their signature design is so light – 40%-60% lighter than other rafts – that almost anyone is able to deploy it, exponentially increasing a survivor’s odds of returning home.
Word got out, of course, and WINSLOW began supplying not only sailors, but also pilots with their superlight, compact rafts. Shortly after WINSLOW received top honors in an independent review of aviation life rafts by The Aviation Consumer, they secured FAA approval and expanded the aviation line. Their rafts are used by world-renowned sailing competitors, power boaters, government agencies, and Fortune 500 companies.
Each raft is designed to meet the needs of every customer. Most rafts are 10-sided to simulate a round life raft’s ability to always remain at a “neutral” point but with additional rigidity for better stability. They also feature a ballast system, a drogue (largest in the industry), a wide entry point for easy accessibility from a sinking vessel, a wide boarding platform, and large 11” buoyancy tubes to allow passengers to sit low in the raft to lessen the likelihood of being tossed out in severe conditions.
The raft’s extra support and comfort also reduces “life raft fatigue.” WINSLOW’s multi-position double-coated, self-erecting canopy system is also typically included in each raft and provides necessary protection from the elements, reducing the risk of hypothermia. A survival equipment package is tethered to each and every life raft.
To top it all off, their extensive packaging options allow for effective storage in almost any location. To learn more and discover WINSLOW’s expansive life raft products, check out their website at winslowliferaft.com.
