Life rafts
With any new design there is a chance of having a problem. If your life is on the line, a life raft is a good backup plan. A simple life raft will get blown over in big waves and high winds. There are designs that work much better than the simple life raft.
Givens Buoy Raft
The Givens life raft uses water ballast so wind gusts and breaking waves don't tip it over. They have a testimonial of some guys that survived 48 hours in a hurricane, including passing through the eye. The water ballast also makes the raft drift much slower in the wind, so rescuers don't have to look so far. This design looks far safer than a simple open raft. There are life rafts for 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, or 25 people. An 8 person Givens raft costs $5,295 US.
Free fall lifeboats
People can enter from the back and then they drop into the ocean.
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