250,000 flares expire in California each year with no easy take-back. Steve from Sirius Signal on disposal, backups, and a night light you can test.
Steve from Sirius Signal does not tell every boater to throw every flare away tomorrow. He does tell them to have an alternative. On The Next Boat Journey he put it simply. There is no one device that is perfect for all situations. Have options.
He shared a story that started with a LinkedIn post from a large European pyrotechnic manufacturer. A boater went into the water off Florida in fuel-soaked conditions and lit a flare. Rescuers found him. Steve asked a quiet question in the comments. Was a burning flare the best tool in fuel-soaked water? The answer is not always yes. That is why a backup matters.
Disposal is the part of the flare story most boaters never hear. Do not throw expired flares in the ocean. Do not put them in household trash. According to California Boating and Waterways, more than 250,000 flares expire in that state every year. One handheld flare disposed of the wrong way can pollute about 250,000 gallons of groundwater.
Collection, packing and shipping those flares out of state can cost taxpayers more than the flares sold for at retail. There is no statewide take-back in California. There is no program in Florida.
Sirius Signal ran collection events in 2015, 2016 and 2017 with help from Los Angeles County hazardous waste staff. The flares went to the county sheriff's bomb squad. After the last event collected more than 300 flares, the squad asked them not to do it again. They had enough.
The Coast Guard generally will not take old flares at the dock. A used boat with expired flares in a locker is a common problem and a real disposal problem. Missing required visual distress signals can bring a fine of about $1,000. Boarding officers work from a checklist. The whistle is the piece many people forget.
Retailers often prefer flares because customers come back every three years. Sirius Signal went direct to the consumer through SiriusSignal.com and Amazon. Steve believes the lights have already removed the need for more than a million flares people would have bought again.
Brian kept an electronic signal on a 38-foot O'Day and changed the batteries every December 31. They went out for fireworks. They never had to use it. They knew it would work if they did.
The Next Boat Journey airs Thursday at 5 PM on Dock Side Live Radio, with encore presentations Saturday and Sunday at 5 PM.
This episode is part of Dock Side Live Radio's ongoing effort to help boaters make better decisions throughout their boating journey, from their first boat to the next one.
Special thanks to our Next Boat Journey Founding Partners: Dockmate, SOS Screens, The Big Bumper Company, Let's Go Boating, The Florida Mariner Magazine, Franklin Pillsbury IV and Sirius Signal.
Learn more about Sirius Signal at SiriusSignal.com.
