Immersion Suits

An immersion suit is made to be donned quickly by a crew member (or passenger). It is made to keep the wearer afloat and provide thermal protection when immersed in cold waters. Immersion suits extend the length of time a person can be in cold waters in hopes of a positive rescue outcome. They are full body suits that cover both feet and hands and are designed for the wearer to get into without having to remove shoes or clothing. With proper training and accessible gear, a person should be able to reach their immersion suit, put it on, and abandon ship within a minute.

Immersion suits are bright in color (red, fluorescent orange, or yellow) for maximum visibility. There are many versions available, but most have integrated gloves that are thinner in material to allow the wearer better dexterity. Some models have an additional outer insulating glove. There are multiple other safety features that are available with an immersion suit such as a whistle, strobe, inflatable bladder, and buddy line, which allows the wearer to attach themselves to others in a group and keep the group together for rescue.

To learn more about Polar Code visit our Polar Code Online Training web page.