New kit for Salcombe lifeboat volunteers
Volunteers from Salcombe Lifeboat Station have received a new Helly Hansen lifesaving kit, as the national roll out of the RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat crew kit reaches its conclusion.
The new kit is part of Helly Hansen’s strategic partnership with the RNLI and has been issued to the RNLI’s 128 all-weather lifeboat stations since the programme began in September 2018. The kit is also worn by the charity’s crew members at Tower and Chiswick lifeboat stations on the Thames.
RNLI chief executive, Mark Dowie, said: “It’s great to see this fantastic new kit arrive at the station. The crew members here at Salcombe are among the very last to receive this new all-weather lifeboat crew kit, which has been supplied to over 125 lifeboat stations now. Our volunteer crews across the UK and Ireland have worn this amazing kit in all kinds of conditions when they’ve been out saving lives at sea, so we know it’s up to the challenges our crews face.”
Helly Tech fabric
Specially designed with the RNLI, the new kit uses waterproof and breathable Helly Tech fabric which provides increased comfort compared to the previous non-breathable fabric of the old kit. The light but strong kit is reinforced for exposed areas and its technical layering system ensures crew members will keep warm and dry while at sea.
The new bib, midlayer and baselayer garments of the kit have a specific fit for female crew members, enabling better comfort and freedom of movement.
By Rebecca Jeffrey
