Good marketing by the individual concerned - a quick look at the BBC link shows that he's done it dressed as a paramedic and even a postie. Practical? At least after descending a rope you just have to shake off the gloves; trying to access anything while wearing that clobber (having attracted all that attention while inbound) means you're more likely to be used as a decoy while the other operators gain access by other means. If the target vessel is doing any kind of aggressive manoeuvring, you're far better off getting a Chinook (OK, OK - 2 Chinooks...) on the task.