Australian boat builder and material fabrications company PFG Group has announced a combination flotation device/storage unit called the Marine Safety Pod (MSP).
Conceived by Glen Shackcloth, a Tasmanian abalone diver, in collaboration with PFG Group, the MSP is the result of three years of collaborative research and development between the two parties, and came about after identifying a market for floating pods that could incorporate other items of safety gear.
The MSP is constructed from a robust UV-protected plastic and consists of two identical halves that clamp down on four containers. Each half is a double-skinned airtight unit. Both halves are identical, so the pod always lands the right way up.
The four containers can house compulsory items of safety equipment such as EPIRB, VHF hand-held radio, flares, first aid kit and also a survival kit which includes a space blanket.
According to PFG Group, it was a challenge to create a unit big enough to house necessary equipment and provide a support platform, without occupying too much valuable boat space.
After producing several prototypes and balancing the relative factors, it was agreed that the pod dimensions would be 680 millimetres long, 400 millimetres wide and 150 millimetres deep.
The MSP's buoyancy far exceeds the weight of the contents and easily supports up to four adults in water. The convenient handgrips along both sides make the pod a stable platform for those in the water.
Additionally, it was decided that separate compartments were required in order to prevent loss or damage to other equipment while accessing specific items in a boating emergency. The pods are now being sold around Australia and in parts of Asia.
