Mustang Survival

Mustang Survival is a Canadian manufacturer of marine safety equipment and technical apparel headquartered in Burnaby, British Columbia.^[1] The company designs and produces personal flotation devices (PFDs), drysuits, flotation coats, and waterproof outerwear for recreational boaters, offshore sailors, rescue professionals, and military and law enforcement agencies.^[2]

Mustang Survival was founded in 1967 by Irv Davies in Vancouver, British Columbia, under the name Mustang Sportswear Ltd. The company began with seven employees working out of a 2,000-square-foot facility in Vancouver’s Gastown district.^[3]

In 1970, Irv Davies invented the Floater™ Coat, which used closed-cell foam to provide both flotation and thermal insulation. It was the first garment to combine the function of a life preserver with the comfort of a cold-weather jacket and became the company’s signature product.^[4]

In 1974, the Mustang Style 1600 Vest became the first approved by the Canadian Coast Guard, and a few years later, it was approved by the U.S. Coast Guard. The service began using Mustang Survival products in the late 1970s and continues to do so.^[3]

In 1977, Mustang Survival collaborated with University of Victoria physiologist Dr. John S. Hayward to study cold-water immersion and hypothermia, leading to the development of the Thermofloat Coat. The design concentrated insulation at key heat-loss points and incorporated a neoprene “beaver-tail” flap to slow hypothermia during immersion. The flap, when pulled under the groin and snapped into place on the front, decreased flushing of water within the suit by 50% and doubled the insulation value of the jacket. Due to this, the Thermofloat Jacket increased the predicted survival time of the average person in 10◦C water from 2.7 to 9.5 h.^[5][6][7]

In 1984, Mustang Survival began supplying underarm life preservers (LPUs) to the Canadian military.^[8]

During the mid-1990s, Mustang Survival co-developed self-inflating life preservers for the Space Shuttle Program with NASA.^[9][10]

Mustang Survival has developed technologies that advance flotation, cold-water protection, and inflatable life-saving systems. Its equipment serves professional, military and recreational users and reflects a longstanding focus on enhancing safety in demanding marine conditions.^[11][2]

Waterlife Studio is an in-house facility used for prototyping, physiological testing, and controlled immersion trials.^[3] The center supports ongoing collaboration with organizations including the Canadian Coast Guard, NASA, and U.S. Navy.^[12]

Working with the Canadian Armed Forces’ Defense and Civil Institute of Environmental Medicine (DCIEM), Mustang Survival helped develop a next-generation integrated life-preserver/survival vest for military aircrew, replacing models originally designed in the 1950s. Initially created for Sea King helicopter crews, the new vest also supplanted antiquated life jackets used in ejection-seat and transport aircraft. Mustang Survival first produced prototypes and completed the initial data and drawing packages, then, in 1988, was awarded the contract to manufacture the integrated vests for evaluation during extensive trials at selected flying units.^[13][8][14]

Inflatable bladders produced by Mustang Survival for the United States military were later adapted for use in a prototype inflatable wetsuit developed by big-wave surfer Shane Dorian in collaboration with Billabong. Designed for rapid inflation to assist in surf rescue situations and was described by media outlets as a notable innovation in big-wave safety.^{[4][15][16][17]} It received Popular Science’s Best of What’s New award^[18] in 2011 and was named “Gear of the Year” by National Geographic Adventure for its design innovation.^[19][20]

In partnership with Swedish manufacturer Hammar®,^[21] Mustang Survival introduced Hydrostatic Inflation Technology (HIT), which activates only when submerged to a depth of approximately ten centimeters, minimizing accidental inflation caused by rain or spray.^[22]

Mustang Survival’s innovations have received multiple international design awards, including the Gold A’ Design Award^[23] (2017) for the EP Ocean Racing Collection,^[24] a DAME Design Award^[25] Special Mention (2023) for the Atlas 190 Pro Sensor,^[26] and recognition in TIME Magazine^[27]’s Best Inventions (2024) for the Atlas 190 DLX Pro Sensor Life Jacket.^[28] The same product received the Red Dot Design Award^[29] (2024) for product design.^[30]