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Published by White Glacier Manufacturing Corp. In February 2026, Chile's maritime authority became the first to operationalize Polar Code Chapter 8's goal-based LSA verification at the port state control level.

Published by White Glacier Manufacturing Corp. This post is the practical response to that problem. What follows is not a marketing document. It is a working checklist — the questions a diligent polar vessel operator should be able to answer before their next polar voyage, and the documentation they should be able to produce if a flag state PSC officer, a P&I surveyor, or a court asks them to demonstrate that their LSA equipment was adequate for their operating area. If you c

Published by White Glacier Manufacturing Corp. There is a question every polar vessel operator must be able to answer — and most cannot. If your crew enters the water in the most remote part of your operating area, in the worst seasonal conditions, and SAR response takes three days, will they survive? Not: do their suits carry a valid certificate? Not: did you complete the drill log? Will they survive? The SAR Reality in Polar Waters In the North Sea, SAR infrastructure is ma

Ergopro test facility, Trondheim, Norway — August 2022. The test subject immersed in 0°C water at −20°C air temperature with 10 m/s wind. By test end, the pool had frozen solid around the suit. Published by White Glacier Manufacturing Corp. There is a question that every polar vessel operator should ask — but rarely does: What happens to my crew's immersion suit the moment seawater gets inside it? For the vast majority of suits on the market today, the answer is straightforwa

Published by White Glacier Manufacturing Corp. When a mariner falls into Arctic waters, they have minutes — not hours — before cold incapacitation sets in. The suit on their back is the difference between survival and tragedy. Yet the international standard most vessels rely on was never designed, tested, or validated for polar conditions. That is the uncomfortable truth at the center of modern polar maritime safety. A Standard Built for a Different World Conventional Life-Sa

Designed as an Abandonment Suit — Engineered for Real-World Versatility The Arctic 10+ is optimized for emergency use across a wide spectrum of cold-water environments (0°C to 15°C+ water temperatures). Its intelligent design allows it to adapt effectively to different abandonment scenarios without compromising core protection. Key Versatility Features Advanced Temperature Regulation: The removable arm system lets the wearer pull arms inside for maximum warmth during passive

Lifeboat drills in calm conditions can create a false sense of security when polar reality is far more demanding. Most vessels conduct regular lifeboat drills. Crews board the lifeboats, start the engines, and feel prepared. But in polar and cold-water environments, these drills may be giving operators and crews a dangerous false sense of security. The combination of a standard lifeboat and a conventional immersion suit is often inadequate for the realities of polar abandonme

The IMO Polar Code is a goal-based framework, not a simple checklist. Chapter 8 requires that life-saving appliances provide “adequate thermal protection” capable of supporting survival for the Maximum Expected Time of Rescue (METR) — never less than five days in remote polar waters. While the 2026 amendments to the Polar Code primarily expanded navigation and voyage planning requirements to additional vessel types (fishing vessels ≥24m, small cargo ships, and large yachts),

In recent discussions about maritime safety, donning speed has taken center stage. New immersion suit designs emphasize faster closures, simplified components, and standardized sizing to reduce the time required to get protected during an emergency—an approach recently highlighted in gCaptain coverage of newly launched immersion suits focused on rapid deployment. This focus is understandable. In high-stress situations, seconds matter. Panic, poor visibility, vessel motion,

The International Maritime Organization’s Sub-Committee on Ship Systems and Equipment (SSE) plays a vital role in shaping the safety standards that govern vessels worldwide. From 10 to 14 March 2026, SSE 12 convened in London to review technical proposals on life-saving appliances (LSA), fire safety, and other ship systems. Bureau Veritas has published a clear summary of the meeting’s key outcomes. While the session advanced several important LSA items, it also underscores a

When a ship must be abandoned in polar waters, the difference between life and death is often measured in days, not hours. Traditional immersion suits were designed to keep a person afloat and somewhat warm for a short time — typically just long enough to reach a life raft or be rescued quickly. But in the Arctic and Antarctic, rescue can take far longer. The International Maritime Organization’s Polar Code recognizes this reality and requires survival equipment to support li

It’s measured in minutes. When a vessel is abandoned in polar or near‑polar waters, most people assume the danger begins hours later—once hypothermia sets in. In reality, the most decisive period occurs within the first 60 minutes , long before rescue assets arrive and long before exposure becomes prolonged. Understanding what actually happens during that hour explains why most immersion suits fail—and why the Arctic 10+ was designed differently from the start.] Minute 0–5: C

Posted: February 28, 2026 Author: Diego Jacobson, CEO, White Glacier In late February 2026, Chile’s Maritime Authority (DIRECTEMAR) announced it will begin verifying immersion suit performance during Port State Control (PSC) inspections in Punta Arenas — a major Antarctic gateway handling 20–30% of expedition traffic. For the first time, a flag state has signaled that Polar Code survival requirements must be met in real-world polar conditions — not just on certification p

SOLAS/LSA suits were engineered for: Temperate to subarctic water (0–5°C) Short exposure durations before skin temperature falls toward 10°C Controlled conditions with no wind chill and minimal wetting Basic buoyancy and thermal delay , not endurance They were never engineered or tested for real-world polar abandonment conditions that routinely include: Sub-zero air (−20°C or lower) High wind chill (−30°C or colder) Continuous spray + evaporative cooling Water ingress from

The White Glacier Arctic 10+ was engineered to deliver true multi-day thermal protection in the harshest polar conditions—sub-zero air temperatures, near-freezing water, high wind chill, and prolonged Maximum Expected Time of Rescue (METR) scenarios, as highlighted by the U.S. Coast Guard's December 2023 Arctic Search & Rescue simulation study. That study showed METR frequently exceeding the Polar Code's 5-day minimum in remote, ice-bound, or high-victim cases (e.g., researc

In the unforgiving polar regions, where rescue operations can stretch far beyond expectations, the IMO Polar Code sets a critical baseline for survival—but is it enough? As operators push deeper into Arctic and Antarctic waters amid climate-driven route openings, a December 2023 U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) study highlights the risks of sticking to minimum standards. This post explores the problem, the evidence, and a practical solution: the White Glacier Arctic 10+ immersion suit

Commercial fishing remains one of the world's most dangerous occupations, with cold water immersion a leading cause of fatalities far from the Arctic or Antarctic. In regions like the North Sea , Grand Banks off Newfoundland , the Bering Sea , and other North Atlantic fishing grounds, water temperatures routinely plunge below 10–15°C year-round—often dipping to near-freezing in winter. These conditions trigger rapid cold shock (gasping, hyperventilation, and potential drowni

As of January 1, 2026, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has expanded the reach of the Polar Code through amendments adopted in 2023 (Resolutions MSC.532(107) and MSC.538(107)). These changes mark a significant step in enhancing safety for ships operating in the harsh Arctic and Antarctic environments. The amendments now extend mandatory requirements for safety of navigation and voyage planning to previously unregulated non-SOLAS vessels. The Polar Code has been m

In an era of intensifying great-power competition, few places on Earth hold as much strategic weight as Greenland. This vast, ice-covered island—technically part of the Kingdom of Denmark but increasingly central to U.S. security interests—sits at the crossroads of the Arctic and North Atlantic. As climate change melts sea ice and opens new shipping lanes, Greenland's location has become a flashpoint for military positioning, resource access, and global influence. But defendi

Published: January 2026 The IMO Polar Code, mandatory since 2017, revolutionized polar shipping by addressing unique hazards like ice, extreme cold, remoteness, and delayed rescue. Its core survival philosophy—requiring protection from hypothermia for the Maximum Expected Time to Rescue (METR) , with a minimum of 5 days in most scenarios—remains forward-thinking. Yet, as polar traffic surges (Northwest Passage transits up, expedition cruises booming, NSR traffic growing), th