Originally Posted by
meleagertoo
In times past rig workers on the N Sea were issued with an immersion suit for the helo trip out to their rig.
These paragons would fall out the dockside bars of Footdee at 0500 and taxi to Dyce where they would struggle into their immersion suits and zizz off in the helo. On longer trips the inevitable often happened and with no other option many arived onboard in a swampy condition.
As if this wasn't bad enough these were suits were not personal issue but pool items which they had to hand over to one of the offgoing crew they were replacing. There were no spares...if you wanted to go on leave there was no option...
Never heard that story, and I've done plenty of trips offshore. Thankfully now you are issued with your survival suit at the embarkation heliport and that is yours for the entire trip. It sits in your cabin and it's what you would use if you needed to evacuate from the accommodation. If out on deck in an emergency you help yourself to one of the suits in lockers on deck. Life jackets, however, are exchanged on deck between incoming and outgoing personnel as the chopper arrives.