Most boaters never practice a flare. Steve from Sirius Signal explains why a twist-on night light is safer to hand off when the boat is already in trouble.
Steve from Sirius Signal told Brian Burns that 80 to 90 percent of boaters have never deployed a flare and have never read the instructions. Those instructions are small. They are harder to read at night when the boat is already in trouble.
That is the moment when the difference between a pyrotechnic flare and an electronic distress light becomes practical, not theoretical.
A handheld flare has to be held over the side. It cannot be set down. It cannot go in a rod holder. One person is tied to that job for the entire burn. An electronic light is a twist. It is on. There is no slag and no debris. It can be handed to another person while the captain deals with the problem.
Families feel that difference when the boat is rolling and someone is already distressed.
The goal is a signal that does not create a second injury while the crew waits for help
As a boater moves from a first boat or a PWC to a larger boat, or starts running farther from shore, the safety plan should grow with the trip. Sirius Signal makes white lights and lights with infrared so aircraft using night vision can see the SOS pattern. It also makes a two-color light built to the RTCM standard, roughly five times brighter than the white light, with infrared as well.
Farther out means more tools, not one device that is expected to do everything. VHF. PLB. EPIRB. Light. Flag. Whistle. Decide in advance who grabs what. The captain is responsible. The crew still needs a job so nobody freezes and asks what to do next.
Steve's request to listeners was one action before the next trip. Walk the crew through the kit. Confirm the batteries. If flares are still on board, confirm they are not expired. Put the certified night light where anyone can reach it.
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.
