LifeSled Specs

Three-Point Hookup

The importance of our three-point hookup system can’t be overstated. There isn’t a stronger water rescue board that will outperform or outlast a solid core LifeSled. Pound for pound, LifeSled is the best value in water safety and when used in combination with our custom fit Transom Adaptors, the LifeSled’s three-point connection smoothly pivots 45˚ laterally and moves in harmony with vertical surface water undulations. Our super-strong lateral Bungee Stabilizers are engineered to allow the LifeSled to remain extremely maneuverable through turns and deploy the perfect amount of tension to cushion centripetal force. The large displacement three-point connection is supported by not just one but three full-length aluminum stringers. This combination minimizes stress on tow components maximizing the LifeSled’s unmatched strength-to-weight ratio. Our water rescue sleds simply don’t crease or fold like competing products. If industry-leading strength and maneuverability aren’t enough for you, consider that our rescue boards can be attached to a personal watercraft in less than three minutes using our Quick Release Snap Shackles.

LifeSled Rail Design

The LifeSled’s rail geometry has been optimized to function in perfect harmony with the underway dynamics of a jet ski. More extreme than a body bodyboard’s rails, the 70/30 rail to chine ratio allows for deeper sled tracking. This edge works in tandem with an optimized curved outline that improves the overall stability of the boat and rescue board setup while still allowing the driver to break loose for quick turns. We can’t be vocal enough on how important it is for a rescue sled to work in harmony behind a jet ski through thick sea foam and turbulent waters. Nature is unpredictable and we have engineered these rails to help keep your boat stable with good maneuverability unlike some of the flat rail rescue boards available today. With over 28 years of research and development by top engineers and watermen, we’re confident our water rescue boards are not only the strongest but also the safest solution to date.

Optimized Outline

In dangerous, rough-water conditions everything counts. Every LifeSled is a result of over 28 years of research and development, tested by the industry’s finest watermen operating in extreme conditions worldwide. The LifeSled’s rail geometry has been optimized to function in perfect harmony with the underway dynamics of a personal watercraft. LifeSleds don’t just drag behind jet skis like competing boards, they release water in a calculated way that actually improves the watercraft’s stability and handling while tracking through thick sea foam and turbulent waters. Our rescue boards are long enough to keep a person comfortable yet does not impede maneuverability. The swallow tail’s outline helps to facilitate the centering of an incapacitated body when being pulled aboard. The tail design is not only comfortable for a victim being pulled to safety but its perfect pitch allows a paddling surfer to drive right up onto the sled to be swiftly and efficiently pulled to safety.

Tail Design

Tail shape takes on a particular importance in the LifeSled’s design. The highly-optimized swallow tail used in our water rescue sleds helps to translate the passenger’s weight to proper tracking and water release for improved handling. Its comfortable surface is made from a hypoallergenic cross-linked polyethylene that has an excellent resistance to chemicals allowing it to be washed and sterilized by bleach, soaps, or alcohol. By default, the tail is colored in the same colorfast, weatherable material as the abrasion resistant and tacky-when-wet deck. The LifeSled’s curved tail outline helps to facilitate the centering of incapacitated victims when being pulled aboard. The tail design is not only comfortable for a victim being pulled to safety but its perfect pitch allows for a paddling surfer to drive their surfboard right up onto the sled’s deck to be swiftly and efficiently pulled to safety.

LifeSled Materials

Anytime you set out to create the best, it kind of goes without saying that the finest materials will be involved and the same can be said for our LifeSleds. With each new revision, materials are scrutinized for both durability and sensibility alike. Each LifeSled is a composite of materials with extreme characteristics; at the center of our rescue boards, you will find a precision CNC-machined linear low-density polyethylene core that exhibits extreme shock absorption and thermal insulation. This core is reinforced by the industrys’ only tempered aluminum stringer system that is both rigid and impact resistant. This triple array of alloy stringers runs throughout the length of the board and prevents folding or creasing common in other sleds over the PWC stern. Our durable decks are made from a comfortable, abrasion resistant, fine-celled, hypoallergenic cross-linked polyethylene skin that is tacky-when-wet. These high-visibility, colorfast, yellow decks are UV-stable and resistant to chemicals, allowing them to be washed and sterilized with bleach, alcohol, and many detergents. On the flip side of the board, you will find an acrylic capped ABS hull with excellent impact resistance, permanently dyed in high visibility “Coast Guard Orange”. Proprietary high-impact potting urethanes and epoxies are used to weld tow bars, stringers, handles, and bungee anchors in place. The nose of every solid core LifeSled is capped with our super-tough UHMWPE Nose Guards that protects both the LifeSled and the PWC’s transom. Our robust, easy-to-grab handles are both internally and externally fiber-reinforced to stand on there own while offering just the right degree of flex. Unlike competing rescue boards with single 12mm bungee stabilizers, LifeSled’s Bungee Stabilizers have twice the strength and are made from double-looped, half-inch marine shock cord, and are double-sheathed for additional safety. While other rescue board manufacturers may scoff at the cost of our extreme material choices, we just can’t produce a life-saving board that cuts corners to increase profits.

Dyneema® Spliced Loops

Dyneema is the world’s strongest fiber; strong enough to anchor cargo ships, we can think of no better way to anchor your LifeSled to a personal watercraft. Slim and lightweight, this loop is made from Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene and is used as the central tow line between your LifeSled rescue board and a jet ski. This 9,000 lb test line is the absolute best choice when using one of our custom fit Transom Adaptors. Attach one end to the transom’s tow hook using a bale sling hitch knot and the other end using either a Snap Hook Carabiner or our easy to use 70mm Quick Release Snap Shackle made from marine-grade 316 stainless steel. We know water rescue boards are expensive, life-saving investments; so we overbuild everything to last for many years to come and we don’t see why our tow rope should be any different.

Quick Release Snap Shackles

Our marine-grade 316 stainless steel quick-release connections allow for fast attachment of your LifeSled to a personal watercraft. The 70mm Snap Shackle is the best option for the central linking of a LifeSled to a boat when used with one of our custom-fit Transom Adaptors. The 70mm Quick Release Snap Shackles make quick attachment of a LifeSled’s Bungee Stabilizer to the PWC’s rear side U-Bolts. When a Transom Adaptor is not an option for a central connection, a 90mm Quick Release Snap Shackle is available à la carte as well as part of our U-Bolt Kit.

Modular Handles

In rough water situations, there is no substitute for good grip. Unlike other competing rescue boards, LifeSled’s handles are internally and externally fiber reinforced and won’t easily compress into thin, hard-to-hold shapes that can pinch or hurt to grasp. Not unlike a race car’s steering wheel, our tacky-when-wet handles feature a robust diameter sufficient for victims with cold hands to grab hold of in hypothermic situations. Our semi-rigid handles stay upright and won’t easily collapse under minor weight like competing products, making them flexible enough to allow a victim to be hoisted over yet still firm enough to safely fence them in. The 750+ pound break strength allows victims to be carried similarly to a backboard. It is unlikely that these ultraviolet and weather-resistant handles will break or wear out anytime soon, but if they do, our handle’s modular design allows for single handles to be quickly and inexpensively replaced instead of all-at-once like our competitor’s sleds. The female end is embedded into the LifeSled’s core using a secret blend of adhesives designed for strength and impact resistance. Handles do not penetrate through the board’s hull and are not affixed with sharp, single-point screws. Because our handles don’t protrude through the bottom of the board, its hull remains smooth and intact for better tracking behind a ski. Our rescue boards Do Not Include Dangerous connected bungies or extraneous grab ropes that can whip at a victim, or worse yet, entangle them causing a rescue attempt to become fatal.