SEMS are a very helpful bunch of people. It was Glen from SEMS who led the session in the pool. In the UK the lifeboat service (RNLI) is a volunteer organisation and Glen from SEMS is a pilot for their hovercraft that operates in the Thames estuary. From what is being said here it sounds like SEMS should be expanding into Europe through offering mail order services.
My impression was that for any overwater flight around the UK a lifejacket, dry suit and PLB were needed due to water temperatures and response times of SAR. Even with a lifejacket survival time in the water around the UK without a dry suit is not very long – about an hour in summer and considerably less in winter - due to the onset of hypothermia. SAR service levels in UK are designed to give a maximum response time of 1 hour to get on site. Not a big margin for error even in ideal circumstances.
There was some talk in the discussion sessions about a new Canadian information leaflet on ditching and sea survival that took a risk management approach. It was recommended reading along with the CAA safety sense leaflet 21c. Has anyone experience of using the Canadian risk management approach?