Life raft regulations, Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific.

[GILow]

Hi all,

I've decided not to have my old liferaft recertified. Too old, too big, too heavy... too... you name it.

Started looking at my options and I see that the commonly sold, budget friendly brand here in Australia, Great Circle, offers a "Coastal" vs an "Ocean" model. Digging deeper into their literature, the cited difference is as follows:

"WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OCEANMASTERS & COASTMASTERS?
There are two main differences between Oceanmaster and Coastmaster Life Rafts. 1) The Oceanmaster has slightly more space than a similarly sized Coastmaster and 2) Oceanmasters are equipped with external boarding platforms to aid entry into the rafts while Coastmasters have traditional webbing and hard rung ladder and entry bridle systems."

So, at the significant price difference (30% more for the ocean version), and given that I sail mainly solo and would be buying a four person life raft as that is the smallest they offer, my main concern becomes regulations.

Is anyone aware of any regulation hurdles I might run in if I were to go ahead with my plan to travel the South Pacific and maybe New Zealand if all goes well? Do the NZ authorities insist on a particular ISO certification? I guess I mention NZ because I have read a lot about their regulations and how/if they apply to foreign flagged vessels.

Matt