We blew the floats on our 76C+ at 140kts, 500ft, over water. Copilot playing around with buttons. No big deal. Embarrassing.
Know of at least 2 S76 that CFIT into the ocean in the GOM, both at night, one outbound one inbound. Everyone died in the first, one pax in the back in the second. All the offshore 76C+ an C++ I ever flew had the automatic belly switches.
I fly the 139 armed over water, disarm on deck for the passenger swap. Everyone I fly with does the same. The old 76 system is a fossil with the exposed inflate button instead of the guarded one on the 139. I sleep like a baby at night.