If you operate a recreational boat, the government requires you to carry life jackets, distress signals, a fire extinguisher – even a horn. But you’re free to venture to the ends of the earth without a life raft that could save you in the event of fire or sinking.

While it’s a safe bet that you value your life more than the bureaucrats do, selecting, equipping, installing, and maintaining a raft appropriate to your needs is no easy task.

Dozens of makes and models crowd the market, including rafts made by Avon, Givens, Switlik, Winslow, Zodiac and many more. Some manufacturers have numerous options to choose from and the list of variables when comparing them can seem endless. Material, construction, size, shape, canopy design and ballast configuration are just a few.

Rafts are also expensive. High-end rafts cost three times as much as the budget models – and sometimes more. Some low-end coastal four- or six-person rafts sell for less than $2,000 while top-grade ocean rafts can cost more than $7,000. A cradle can add $450 and a hydrostatic release another $250.Steven Callahan

Moreover, a more expensive raft is not necessarily a better raft. Price competition among manufacturers is intense and there is a trend toward shaving construction and component costs. Re-packers observe that the least expensive brands to buy tend to be the most expensive to repack and repair.

Shopping is further complicated by the idea that you are buying something you hope never to use, and in the process confronting a unique set of questions: how much is your life worth and would a more expensive raft materially improve your chances of survival?

MAKING DECISIONS

Ultimately, the difference between inexpensive and pricey rafts comes down to materials, construction, and options. Which raft is best for you is a highly personal decision that will be dictated by a number of factors, but there are some general truths that most experts would agree upon.

The first is that everyone should have some type of raft, unless you operate an extremely small boat that makes it impractical (in which case you should be reading about personal floatation devices). If you have to leave your boat, you want to have some option other than getting into the water.

The second is that any life raft is better than none at all. It is better to choose something that you can afford and to set it up properly than to hold out for a more deluxe model.

Another important factor is the type of boating you do and where you do it. A family cruising on a river in warm climates and a couple making an Atlantic passage have very different needs. Put your aspirations aside and ask yourself what kind of boating you do right now, then evaluate rafts through that lens. When your usage changes, you can re-evaluate and adjust your equipment accordingly.

The last point – and perhaps the most important – is that buying a raft almost always involves making a series of compromises. Your “big boat” isn’t perfect, and your raft probably won’t be either. You may find a ballast configuration you like, but the canopy is not what you wanted. Or you like the canopy and the ballast, but not the boarding ladder. What is important is that the raft addresses the requirements at the top of your list and gives you the highest margin of safety for the price.

The best way to find that raft is to study up. Information that can be used to make meaningful comparisons is not easily found, so the best strategy is to take a long-term approach and consult multiple sources.

Read books by survivors, product tests in magazines and the manufacturers’ web sites. Talk to sales and service people, especially those who repair and re-pack rafts. And go see the rafts themselves (boat shows are a good place to see several in one place). Soon enough, you’ll have a working knowledge of the market.

STANDARDS, SIZE AND WEIGHT

For our purposes here, life rafts are survival rafts, the type stored in a canister or valise and deployed only during major emergencies. We are not talking about dinghies, tenders, sport boats or life raft alternatives such as the inflatable buoyant apparatus or the rescue pod, though any of these might be helpful in a crisis.