U.S. Navy and Marine Corps vessels sit outside the Polar Code entirely. As Arctic operations grow, does current cold-water immersion equipment meet the standard the services have already set for themselves?

The Arctic 10+ in Arctic field conditions — built for the days between abandonment and rescue, not just the first hour. Every immersion suit on the market is judged against the same question: does it meet the applicable standard? That's the wrong starting question, and it always has been. The right one is simpler and harder to hide from: if the person wearing this suit actually ends up in the water, or on the ice, does it keep them alive and functional long enough to be found

On a long transatlantic ferry flight in April 2026, a Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron out of Belle Chasse, Louisiana equipped its aircrew with Arctic 10+ immersion suits before departure. Three suits, one flight, one very old question: if something goes wrong over the North Atlantic, how long do you actually have? That question isn't limited to open water. A growing share of Arctic flying — polar resupply runs, research-support flights, sovereignty patrols, trans-polar car

On August 24, Prime Minister Carney announced an $11 billion contract for six new Polar Class 3 Program Icebreakers, to be built at Chantier Davie in Lévis, Quebec. Each will carry up to 68 crew and program personnel. The first is due in 2032, with the full fleet in service by 2038. It's the largest investment in Canadian icebreaking capability in a generation, and it will keep Canadian Coast Guard crews working in Arctic and sub-Arctic waters for decades to come. It's also a

When a vessel receives its Polar Ship Certificate, a Recognized Organization certifies that it is fit for polar operations. In most cases, that certification is silent on whether the immersion suits aboard provide thermal protection adequate for the Maximum Expected Time of Rescue. That silence is the question this post is about.

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