Which statement best describes how hydrostatic releases work in liferaft systems?

• A. It inflates automatically upon immersion
• B. It releases the raft from its cradle when submerged to a specified depth and inflation follows
• C. It must be activated manually
• D. It relies on a timed release

Answer: (B)

Hydrostatic releases deploy liferafts automatically by using water pressure to trigger a release mechanism at a prescribed depth. When the vessel sinks and the raft becomes submerged to that depth, the release unit frees the raft from its cradle. Once released, the inflation system is activated and the raft inflates automatically. This design ensures the raft detaches and inflates even if no one can reach it during a sinking.

This differs from manual activation, which would require a person to operate a switch or pin, and from a timed release, which would depend on elapsed time rather than depth. Inflation is a result of the release activating the inflation system, not simply immersion alone.