The gumbies (cold water immersion suits) are great, IMO. The trick is to keep it in good working condition and to know how to get into one both dry and in the water. The pillow keeps your head up. You can fill them with water and you still float. Just hard has hell to get in a raft with a bunch of water in the suit but you can do it if you are strong enough.
Took a commercial drill instructor class last winter. They ran us through everything with the suits. Had us flip over liferafts, climb in them, jump in the water and put them on, etc. I have 4 on my boat. 2 up forward in my berthing and two where I can grab them should the boat catch fire while I'm on the back deck. Pretty confident I could get one on and be in the water in no time at all.
