Air Pocket and Air Pocket Plus are Helicopter Underwater Breathing Systems which enable the user to safely re-breathe his/her own exhaled air during a cold water immersion emergency, when a helicopter ditches in open seas. 

When this happens the helicopter is likely to invert, because it is top heavy, and floods. The immersion victim will experience “Cold Shock”, an involuntary physiological response to immersion in cold water which can cause:

	Significant reduction in breath-hold time		Increased heart rate
	Constriction in blood vessels		A rise in blood pressure
	Hyperventilation		Aspiration of water

A short video of the Air Pocket in action is available here. NB file is 2Mb and may take a while to download.

This means that when the immersed passengers most need to be able to hold their breath, they may involuntarily gasp in water and be unable to make their escape.

Air Pocket and Air Pocket Plus have been developed to address this scenario. They are the end result of a £500,000 research project funded by Shell UK Expro and Esso, which involved Shark Group’s expertise in the design and manufacture of breathing systems with leading physiologists, including Professor Mike Tipton.

The specification and design have been extensively tested and proven in independent trials by experts such as the Roben’s Institute of Health and Safety.