The Best Boating Gear
Boating Gear Serves One of Two Purposes: Safety or Fun
You need reliable gear on the water. The water can be an unforgiving environment. The power of the wind, the surf, the current, and the sun can easily be underestimated when you are planning a trip from the comfort of your home. When you’re on the water, you need gear that floats, gear that is reliable, gear that is bright-colored, gear that is rugged, and gear that does not interfere with your boat.
Signal flares are a good example of gear that interferes with the operation of your boat. Signal flares are a very common piece of boating safety gear. They are Coast Guard-approved as a signaling device, and they make sense: in case of emergency, launch flare, right? There are a few problems with signal flares that make them not the best choice for a signaling device. First, consider, what are the chances that a boating emergency might involve a fuel leak? Does signaling for help with fireworks sound like a good idea? Also, a flare may not be as noticeable in the daytime, when most boating is done. Finally, signal flares may burn for a minute or two, but if the flare is not seen within that time, the distressed boater no longer has a required “Coast Guard-approved signaling device”. Instead of signal flares for emergencies, consider a distress flag for daytime use and a floating, electronic, waterproof, visual distress signal for the night.
Towable Tube
A towable tube is about as much fun as you can have on the water. Tubes take less skill than water skiing, and you can fit three people in a tube like this. While the primary purpose is for fun, it does not hurt to consider the safety benefits of a towable tube. Even on a day that you do not plan on tubing, having an inflated tube with you on top of your boat’s bimini could be very helpful in the event of an emergency.
Distress Flags
Distress flags are a very sensible piece of signaling gear. As long as you have cable ties, you can secure the flag to an oar or paddle, a boat pole, or an antenna.
Electronic Visual Distress Signal
If you find yourself in distress at night, a floating flashing strobe light is the best choice because it can be seen from a vast distance, it will last for days, it floats, and it is waterproof. Remember, even if you don’t plan to boat at night, a distress situation may start in the daytime, but if you break down in the daytime, you could find yourself out after dark.
Two unofficial must-have items that will help you out of many jams....
Cable ties and duct tape. For a couple of bucks, you should never leave the dock without these two items. You can fix or rig almost anything you can think of. If you’re out on the water, and all you’ve got is duct tape and cable ties, no matter what happens….you will make it work.
Next Level Safety Gear for Next Level Adventures
As you venture farther out, boat faster, longer, and hotter, you’ll want to level up your safety gear. It’s not the same if you are no longer in sight of the dock or if you have gone past cell phone distance.
A floating waterproof handheld radio is very useful for normal boating operations because you can still use it to call ahead to a dock you plan on visiting or communicate with other boats. In an emergency, there’s nothing more useful because it’s battery-powered and waterproof, so even in a worst-case scenario if you’re floating in the water, you can still use this radio to communicate easily.
A Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) is a varsity, top-of-the-line piece of emergency gear. These are pricey, but with worldwide coverage, this floating, waterproof, battery-powered device will transmit your distress signal and location to search and rescue authorities at the push of a button.
