Hartlepool's RNLI lifeboat heroes looking the part in their new kit

Hartlepool RNLI volunteers have  been issued with some of the very best kit to wear when they go out to sea in all weathers.
Hartlepool RNLI volunteer crew member Jake Oates and probationary crew member Chandler Wilson pictured in the new kit. (Picture Tom Collins)Hartlepool RNLI volunteer crew member Jake Oates and probationary crew member Chandler Wilson pictured in the new kit. (Picture Tom Collins)
Hartlepool RNLI volunteer crew member Jake Oates and probationary crew member Chandler Wilson pictured in the new kit. (Picture Tom Collins)

The new equipment follows a lifesaving partynership deal between the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Norwegian firm Helly Hansen which became the new supplier of all-weather lifeboat crew clothing.

Jake Oates, volunteer crewmember at Hartlepool Lifeboat Station said: ‘The new all-weather lifeboat kit is absolutely brilliant. It’s much lighter than the old kit and uses breathable fabric, which is ideal for the more demanding tasks we often need to carry out.

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‘It was great to find out that it kept you both warm and dry, even while out at sea in some rough conditions’.

Specially designed with the RNLI to meet the charity’s demanding needs, the new kit comes in a wide range of sizes and has bespoke designs to fit both male and female crew members, unlike the kit it is replacing.

As part of the strategic partnership, Helly Hansen has committed to supporting the RNLI for the next five years through a variety of life-saving activities.

These include delivering drowning prevention messages to their customers, generating income, supporting fundraising and safety campaigns, product innovation and supplying the very best kit to the RNLI’s lifesavers.

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The RNLI charity saves lives at sea with volunteers providing a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts.

The RNLI operates over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK.

The RNLI was founded in 1824 and crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.