Switlik Survival Products: Looking forward with confidence.
What does this mean for Switlik? This new addition is providing Switlik the much-needed space to expand our product offerings and bring on new innovative ideas. The diversification of our products and markets, and our continued willingness to change with the times, will ensure Switlik maintains in its position as an industry leading American manufacturer.
“We’re thrilled to get moving on this project which will ultimately provide the residents of Trenton and Hamilton with new job opportunities and help those employed continue succeeding. For 102 years Switlik has been saving lives worldwide, providing jobs locally.” – Stanley Switlik II, CEO.
What does this mean for Switlik customers? The new manufacturing warehouse will enhance Switlik’s capacity in expanding our current product lines as well as giving head way to the creation of new features and enhancements. Switlik’s mission is to design, manufacture and sell technical textile products solutions that always meet our customers performance needs and exceed their value expectations, and this expansion will allow us to continue fulfilling our mission day in and day out.
“The expansion is pivotal for us” says Sarah Switlik, COO “it allows us a lot of opportunity as we look towards the next generation at Switlik.”
About Switlik: Quality, Performance, Innovation
Our current product mix consists of anti-exposure suits, airline life vests, constant wear vests, man overboard and water rescue platforms, life rafts, and military based products outfitting the US Coast Guard, US Army, US Navy as well as the US Air Force.
Switlik products are consistently at the forefront in design, performance and quality of manufacture. Switlik is proud of their long-standing reputation for quality, performance and innovation, having put their family name on their products for over 100 years.
To date drones have accounted for 880 lifesaving operations. Seeing the success that drones are having the FAA is allocating 2.7 million to explore use of drones in disaster and emergency response.
So how exactly do these drone rescues work?
When alerted of a drowning victim, life guards or public safety officials have the capability to send out a drone for quick temporary relief. This relief comes in the form of either a life vest or a special flotation device, until professional help can arrive. Having the ability to launch drones allows responders more time to assess the situation and make well-informed decisions regarding response and mitigation. Unlike boats, drones are capable of launching quickly and are easy to navigate which is especially important when considering hard to reach areas in the water.
Drones aren’t intended to replace human first responders, they are instead seen as force multipliers, valuable tools to keep the first responders safe and provide relief to victims quicker.
Some of the more popular drone saving techniques being used are dropping auto inflating flotation devices, which are easy for the victim to identify. Switlik’s Techfloat is among those products which can be deployed to a distressed person-in-water from a distance using a drone. The inflatable is removed from the valise and attached to the drone, flown above and dropped to the victim. The underarm flotation device activates upon hitting the water and the victim can swim in and be pulled to safety, or wait for a lifeguard to arrive.
Most recently Switlik partnered with Enterprise UAS on a drone demo rescue using our Techfloat to rescue a drowning victim. You can watch the full video below.
Countries such as Spain, Australia, and the UK, have had great success with drones aiding them in rescue and many public safety agencies are beginning to adopt this practice here in the US. One of the caveats around a larger implementation of using drone technology for water-based rescue is the cost. Not only are you required to purchase the drone, you must also have trained pilots (vetted by the FAA) to learn the skills, technical knowledge, and legalities of using and operating a drone to assist with water-based rescues. We can only hope that the research the FAA gathers will be sufficient to warrant a wider adoption of drones in the life saving space, as we've only begun to scratch the surface for what their full capabilities can be in the emergencies field.
Having the ability to quickly and effectively reach people in distress without putting anyone else’s life in danger has been a game changer for the marine community. So next time you’re at the beach look up, there might be a drone patrolling the water.
]]>Switlik is no stranger to be called upon in a time of need. In the 1930’s Switlik started manufacturing pilot and gunner belts, designing flight clothing, and experimenting with parachutes. In December of 1941 as war clouds grew, the factory was creating nearly 2500 parachutes a week to supply the US Army and other military troops during WW2. In the late 1940’s Switlik worked closely with the Navy and Air Force to design and create life vests as well as life rafts. During the Cold War, new parachute designs were developed for nuclear warheads, the space program and aircraft deceleration. Switlik has shaped and evolved its products to high quality survival products for those who need it most.
Walter and Stanley Switlik
Seeing the aftermath of the war our founder, Stanley Switlik, created the Switlik Foundation in 1952. Giving back to the community has been a fundamental part of our past and a legacy we continue to build. Still to this day, the philanthropic arm of Switlik Survival Products, supports schools and organizations by giving back and investing in the local community where our employees and customers live and work is fundamental to Switlik Survival Products.
Honoring Stanley Switlik
Given our company’s origin and history, we feel a deep connection with the war at hand in Ukraine, and are making commensurate donations to help. We vetted many sources and placed our donations with the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council, to provide the civilian defense units with helmets and body armor, as well as Razom, who are responding by providing critical medical supplies. We are proud of our legacy in creating safety products for military personnel, and are using our foundation to support Ukraine during these unprecedent times.
To learn more about the work that UACC and Razom are doing you can visit their websites:
UACC: https://uaccusa.org/supportukraine
Razom: https://razomforukraine.org
“The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.” – Oscar Wilde
]]>As much as it pains me to do so, I will admit that when shopping for a life raft, to the untrained eye they all essentially look the same. When looking at life rafts you will typically find a quality/performance/features versus price “value matrix”. Simply put, you get what you pay for. More expensive rafts will be made of more durable materials, have more inherent features, and offer a longer useable life. This brings us to the essential functions of a life raft: It must inflate and it must hold air. Anything outside of those two categories is an additional feature which distinguishes high-end rafts from entry level models. Purchasing a life raft is like purchasing a form of flood/life insurance, and not to sound grim, but looking at the issue from a “price-centric” view is like openly putting a price on your life and the lives of your family, friends and crew.
SOLAS and USCG Certifications
One of the most common questions that I get asked about life rafts is regarding SOLAS (international convention for the Safety of Life At Sea) or USCG (Coast Guard) certification. A certified raft does not necessarily mean “better”, but it does mean “different” primarily in terms of survival equipment packs and capacities. In fact, there are some professional yachting rafts that are built to a better level of quality and will outperform SOLAS and USCG models. The bottom line here is that SOLAS or USCG approved rafts are simply made for commercial use (if you are selling your catch). I always recommend checking with your local marine safety officer to see which type of raft you require.
Inshore, Offshore and Transoceanic
Life rafts are classified based on their intended use (or your style of boating) as either Coastal, Offshore or Transoceanic. Typically, the biggest difference between the classifications are freeboard (Offshore/Transoceanic rafts offer more than Coastal), materials (weight), and ballasting. If “canyon” is a regular part of your vocabulary then you really need an Offshore raft. Fishing shy of the canyons, a Coastal will do just fine (under 100 miles is a good rule of thumb). On the other hand, if you refuse to settle for anything but the best and have the room to mount the big container, a Transoceanic raft will be the ultimate choice for safety and survival.
CPR Costal Passage Life Raft |
OPR Offshore Passage Raft |
SAR-6 Transoceanic Life Raft |
Construction and Materials
Construction and materials used is arguably the most important factor when considering a life raft. To evaluate a raft’s quality, you want to look at or ask questions about four essential items: What material are the buoyancy tubes made out of? How are the buoyancy tubes attached and assembled? What is the inflation mechanism? What testing does the manufacturer conduct on both raw materials and finished products?
While rubber and neoprene are most common, high-end rafts will have buoyancy tube(s) that are constructed of a double coated nylon fabric. The coating on the fabric is what actually locks the air inside. On high-end rafts, the fabric sections in the buoyancy tubes are actually heat welded and sealed to form a strong fused bond on both sides. Many lower end brands are using an actual cement (which can even be water soluble in some cases) to connect the sections of their buoyancy tubes. Cementing seams has three major drawbacks: unpleasant odor (think seasickness), shorter overall product life (seams degrade over time), and higher maintenance costs (shorter service intervals needed and more expensive servicing).
Traditionally rafts have been inflated with a CO2/nitrogen gas mixture, but the newest wave of high-end rafts are actually being inflated with regular compressed air, which provides a more rapid and stable inflation across a wider array of temperatures and allow for an actual visible pressure gauge for added peace of mind. Finally, all of this is for naught if the manufacturer does not conduct rigorous testing of both raw materials and finished products, which is an important question to ask the raft salesman at the next boat show.
Canopies, Floor, Ballast and Boarding Steps
All rafts will come standard with basic items such as a knife, heaving line, sea anchor, light(s), pump, and repair clamps… but that is where the similarities stop. Canopies are a must-have on life rafts to keep the sea and elements out. High-end rafts feature “convertible canopies” which deploy separately from the main buoyancy tubes. Once inside the raft, a convertible canopy is separately erected then when the time comes to exit the raft, a convertible canopy can be lowered and stowed for easy exit without the need to get into the water. Flooring is simple: if you boat or fish in cold weather make sure to have an inflatable floor as a hypothermia barrier. Ballast gets more complicated.
All rafts will come standard with some form of water pockets (look for bigger weighted ones), but the best Offshore rafts will actually feature a toroidal ballast system which wraps around the entire perimeter of the bottom of the raft to keep the raft stable even when subject to the downdraft of a rescue helicopter. You want a raft with two to four points to board and rigid steps to stand or kneel on (as opposed to a simple webbing ladder) for offshore rafts with higher freeboard to climb over.
Valise or Hard Container
Life rafts will either come packed in a soft valise (bag) or a hard container. For center consoles, having a nice compact and light valise is very important, which is why many center console anglers look to higher end brands who offer the smallest and lightest packs on the market. For the larger sportfish boats, a hard container mounted out of the way on the bow where it will be easily accessible is the way to go. With hard containers, you also have the option for rigging with a hydrostatic release which will allow the raft to automatically deploy if the vessel were to sink before the raft could be reached.
Servicing
The final piece to life raft ownership and purchase consideration is servicing. Trust me, if you plan to buy a raft once and simply leave it on your boat un-touched for fifteen years… don’t waste your money. Yes, servicing is expensive, but it is also very necessary for your raft to properly perform when needed instead of giving you false peace of mind. Also, the longer you wait for servicing, the more expensive your service costs will be, or the raft may have degraded to a point where it is unserviceable. If you are in the market for a raft always ask about expected service costs and intervals, which vary greatly between manufacturers. To make servicing as painless as possible, high-end manufacturers are actually vacuum sealing their rafts inside of a bag before placing them in their valise or container (water sitting on raft fabric for years at a time is the biggest cause of degradation) and offering safe service intervals as long as five years.
…I’ll bet you never realized how much thought actually goes into that “bag” in your console or “box” on your bow!
AV-200 Passenger Life Vest |
Based in Trenton, NJ all of our products are made on-site. One of the benefits on manufacturing products in-house is the total control over every step in the process and the ability to integrate quality assurance in all steps. In making a life vest, you’ll find tests in every step, totaling 7 times for each life vest.
From the moment, raw materials are received on-site, we begin testing the fabric to ensure everything is up to specification. The material is stretched to test tear strength, breaking strength, burst and then cured in the oven to check the coating of the material. If the material fails any of the tests, it is scrapped. Throughout the production process, an individual inspector investigates each and every partially finished product to verify seals and check for defects. Just like in the materials test, if the test is failed, the product is sent back.
AV-35A Double Airline Passenger Vest |
ILV20 Infant Aviation Life Vest |
As the life vest begins to take shape, inflation tests are performed over a series of 24 hours to validate it holds air without any leaks. When it passes, it receives a quality stamp. But that’s not where the quality checks stop! After the final touches are added to the life vest, the vests are tested to ensure proper it around someone’s neck and again, if it doesn’t pass it doesn’t move forward.
After the vests are packed, they are matched serial number to bag and tested to make sure each packed vest meets the required dimensions.
Some may argue that all of the testing is not needed and slows down the production process. But at SWITLIK, every test is not just necessary but imperative; someone’s life counts on it.
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Further, new regulation is putting the passenger first, mandating a breathing system that can operate underwater. The CAP1034 regulation requires this emergency breathing system to be integrated into the life vest, approved under ETSO 2C504. Other regulations for operations in the North Sea require the ETSO 2C504 approved life vest to be worn in combination with an anti-exposure suit compliant with ETSO 2C502.
Switlik has offered an approved life vest and anti-exposure suit to North Sea operators for the last few years and has collaborated with Capewell Aerial Systems and Aqua Lung America to integrate the SEA LV2 CA-EBS manufactured by Aqua Lung to create a fully compliant survival ensemble for use in helicopter operations to and from helidecks located in hostile sea areas.
To meet CAP1034 regulation and pending ETSO requirement, any life vest and CA-EBS combination must be tested and approved in the configuration in which they are intended to be used.
Which took us to Norway, where the testing began.
Testing consisted of measuring the performance of the breathing system in different scenarios and needed to be done when worn in combination with the approved X-Back MOLLE life vest and ETSO suit.
X-Back MOLLE+ Air Crew Life Vest |
ETSO Anti-Exposure Passenger Suit |
Inversion testing of the breathing system.
Participants needed to demonstrate the use of the CA-EBS while escaping underwater from a capsized helicopter.
Testing of the breathing system needed to take place in cold water.
Participants were required to remain underwater for a minimum of 60 seconds, unless unable to continue. All participants remained submerged for 60 seconds, with some remaining submerged for over 2 minutes.
Separately, the breathing systems were tested mechanically to ensure that they operated efficiently at temperatures as low as 4C. Strict test parameters for the mechanical testing were set by both CAA and the scientific community.
After the breathing systems were qualified through this exhaustive testing, the life vest, anti-exposure suit and EBS ensemble was required to be ergonomically tested by flight crews. In cooperation with a partner, flight crews of various sizes were tested in the left seat, right seat, and rear cabin of various aircraft. This testing demonstrated that the ensemble would not interfere with normal flight operations of aircraft operating in the North Sea.
Following the testing, the CAA qualified the CA-EBS integrated life vest combo could withstand all the various environmental conditions and met all of the various properties required by CAP 1034.
CAP 1034 Survival Ensemble |
Switlik’s CAP1034-Approved ensemble, consisting of the X-Back MOLLE+ Life Vest, ETSO Pilot Anti-Exposure Dry Suit, and Aqualung SEA LV2 Compressed Air Emergency Breathing System (CA-EBS), is now available to customers operating to and from helidecks located in hostile seas areas.
]]>The idea of a life preserver has been around since early day explorers and nomads, using inflated animal bladders for support crossing water but began shaping into modern versions by Norwegian seamen, on their travels creating buoyant packages consisting of wood or cork to be used as flotation devices in case of capsize. This soon sparked inventors to develop different ring buoys, ballast belts, and full body suits. From there, designs refined, and the development of the life jacket gets a little “inflated” as several are credited with the wearable cork jacket.
Regardless of the original developer, the wearable chest device design grew in popularity amongst sailors for comfort and was reinforced for its life-saving properties in numerous accounts. The only drawback was weight, an individual cork jacket could weigh as much as 25 pounds! Experiments began with filling the life jacket with kapok, a light weight fiber. While less than cork, kapok still had disadvantages and foam slowly began to replace the kapok versions, allowing life jackets to self-right an unconscious wearer.
In the meantime, work was started on slimming the bulkiness of the life jacket and in 1900, Gustave Trouve patented a battery-powered life jacket that would inflate when needed. Peter Markus improved on that design throughout the 20’s, inventing a rubberized cloth with air pockets that would fill when pulled on 2 cords connected to fluid carbon dioxide. Markus pitched the idea to the U.S. Government and the idea was quickly accepted, and with World War II quickly approaching; the constant wear life jacket became regulation equipment for Navy fliers. From there life jackets began a regulated safety equipment when in 1966 aircrafts have been required to carry a life preserver for each passenger and in 1973, the US Coast Guard first introduced their regulations for Personal Flotation Devices on boats, still in use today.
With Safe Boating Week coming up it is imperative to remember that there has to be a life jacket on board for every passenger and that children wear a life jacket while on board. Did you know that an adult can drown in as little as 60 seconds and only 20 seconds for a child? This summer, make it a priority to wear your life preserver on the water. It is important to know, however, the type of vessel you’re on deems a specific type of life preserver, outlined below.
In additional to a wearable life preserver, the Coast Guard also mandates that boats 16 feet or bigger must also have a throwable device, such as a Techfloat or MOM 8-S.
Techfloat Inflatable Rescue Device |
MOM 8-S Man Overboard Module |
With the marine life jacket rules covered, we now turn to the skies. According to the FAA, at any given moment, there can be up to 7,000 aircraft in the sky. With over 70% of the Earth’s surface being water, it is very likely that an aircraft is over water, and in case of a bailout, pilots and passengers should be prepared. The FAA now mandates that a life preserver must be worn by all occupants while the craft is beyond autorotational distance from the shoreline.
Similar to the ones used by Navy fliers during World War II, constant-wear life vests are favored of pilots today. Constant-wear life vests consist of a pull tab that inflates the air cell, when needed and are comfortable to be worn during the flight, you put it on before boarding and you don’t worry about it until you exit. Switlik offers a variety of constant wear aviation life vests.
All-Pax Passenger Life Preserver |
For larger commercial flights, a life preserver is required for every passenger on board if the aircraft is flying beyond 50 miles from shore. Otherwise, a flotation device, such as a seat is sufficient. Similar to the manual inflation of the other aviation life jackets, the airline style life jackets come folded in a package, to be taken out in case of emergency.
We’ve come a long way from the original cork life jackets, and the innovations have only continued.
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