EPIRB/ACR

[Rhettley]

I've been boating for my whole life and at 47 feel like a newbie setting up this boat as a more salt water oriented deal than I'm used to. I've spent the last 30 years fishing out of Bass Trackers or Gheenoes inshore or on friends boats up to 45 miles out. I know my friends are safe and smart about it. Just don't want to overlook something or buy something that doesn't really work if the excrement covered fan is belly up in the water. The vhf thing got me thinking deeper on the issue. I might be better off spending the money initially on an ACR and get the handheld vhf later. What is the newest info on epirbs verses acr's? I like the idea of a small portable acr assigned to myself instead of the boat so I can use it on other boats,etc. These transmit a gps location when manually activated and are waterproof. How well do they actually work??? I couldn't find any actual test data.

What about this one at this price?
http://www.starmarinedepot.com/ACR+ResQ ... Pouch.html

[zload]

As I read the VHF post I was thinking a handheld VHF is a good idea but a PLB might be a better one if you are thinking offshore. I really want to make sure I come home to the wife and kids and stuff happens so I have a VHF, handheld VHF, a SPOT2 and a PLB, the same exact one you had the link to.

The ACR PLB seems to be simple, pretty bulletproof and has a testing process as well. The down side is the battery replacement is pretty steep but it is a 5 year cycle. Its about the size of a thick cell phone so it doesn't take up much room in my emergency box. I did the initial test to make sure it found the GPS signal and now keep it in the console when on the wate. After reading the recent story about the guys from LA I'm thinking it may need to be clipped to me if offshore. The serious offshore folks talk about the need to hold it out of the water which is true but I didn't see that as a major issue in the areas I would be going i.e 10 or so miles out max.

If I recall correctly I paid $279 for mine at West Marine but had a major gift card so not that bad. I think my Standard Horizion handheld VHF was around $120. BOE.com is another good site if you are not looking for local.

My thoughts basically came down to wanting to know that if I had to punch the button I wanted eevry resource available coming after me, FWC/USCG/USAF and even the Russians if available! EPIRBs are even a higher level of security in that they can be deployed automatically but pretty pricey and I also liked the portability of the PLB.

[DEMON]

Go to thehulltruth.com and look up the threads about the different beacons. You'll get some real world reviews of the different ones and their capabilities and limitations.

[silverking]

Take thehulltruth reviews with a grain of salt. Many are from members who have a gripe--legitimate or not--with a manufacturer, so the opinions can be biased.

My colleague at Salt Water Sportsman, Glenn Law, does a good job of looking at the pros and cons of electronics. Here is the link to that section. There are separate pages for PLB, EPIRB, etc.

http://www.saltwatersportsman.com/gear/electronics

[Rhettley]

Thanks. I'm not finding any reports of the signal on a plb being weak or not connecting. I had seen that in years past I think.

[CW2008]

I have a PLB but will get an EPIRB also. The PLB is in my ditch bag, but if my boat gets flipped by a rogue wave like Panama City Dive Charters had happen last summer, I may not be able to get to the bag - especially if I have a head injury. After their accident last year - and they were less than 10 miles out - it made it perfectly clear the advantage of a self deploying EPIRB. It's an expensive ornament, but in a once in a lifetime instance can become worth your life. My PLB also requires that I hold the antenna upright, and that could be difficult in rough seas. Both are good but different safety devices.

[EddieJoe]

I have a PLB but will get an EPIRB also. The PLB is in my ditch bag, but if my boat gets flipped by a rogue wave like Panama City Dive Charters had happen last summer, I may not be able to get to the bag - especially if I have a head injury. After their accident last year - and they were less than 10 miles out - it made it perfectly clear the advantage of a self deploying EPIRB. It's an expensive ornament, but in a once in a lifetime instance can become worth your life. My PLB also requires that I hold the antenna upright, and that could be difficult in rough seas. Both are good but different safety devices.

I don't know the circumstances involved in the accident you reference, but self-deploying EPIRBS are released from their case by hydrostatic pressure at a certain depth, usually 15' down. This means the boat has to sink or go way under to release the device. Useful on some vessels no doubt but not so on most recreational boats that are much more likely to just turn over and not sink. Generally, on a rec. vessel it is better, IMO, to have the EPIRB mounted on the side of the console or some other place where you (and other passengers) can get it quickly and deploy it yourself. They have a spool of cord attached to the EPIRB to tie it off to you or the boat and in any case it all works much better if you have a PFD on.

I have an EPIRB on my console, and a PLB clipped to me, most times. I also wear an auto inflatable PFD except when anchored. If I were to rate the priority of buying stuff for my boat it would be: inflatable PFD, VHF (fixed mount and portable), PLB, and then EPIRB. This is for my boat and fishing areas (20' center console) nearshore and offshore to about 25 miles. All of the devices have integrated GPS are made by ACR and I wouldn't buy them any other way. The PLB does have to have the antenna held out of the water to function well so that is a consideration, but they are so small that is a real advantage and can be used elsewhere like in remote areas hunting, hiking, etc. One more advantage of the PLB is that you can take it with you on other guys boats and be protected.

I accidently tested my EPIRB twice in a row when cleaning it at home and the USCG called the house in about 3 minutes. It was an amazing display of the safety power of the SARSAT system and the dedication of the CG to their jobs. It sure is nice to know they are out there 24/7 and if you have the phone tree set up right they will scramble PDQ if they find out you are out on the water based on the calls and the GPS fix.

Some guys like SPOT but I would consider them as a secondary device as it relates to emergency response.

EJ

[CW2008]

The incident out of PCB happened at one of the most popular dive sites for tourists (Black Bart). I think 3-4 foot seas, but just as the divemaster untied from the wreck (with everyone else onboard) a series of rogue waves hit the stern. With the diver in the water they were vulnerable to drift; it was just terrible timeing. The boat flipped and spilled everyone, with only one minor head injury. With all the tanks and stuff it is a miracle no one was seriously hurt. It was a 6-pack type vessel with about 6 or 7 people on board at the time. It highlights how easily things can turn on you, even in an area you feel safe. Another accident fairly recently (last year maybe) that claimed some lives. They sank after engine trouble not too far from the pass out of Mobile I think. Some of you may have heard of this also. If my memory serves me, hypothermia killed them. Don't know if they had a PLB or an EPIRB. A case for getting help ASAP anyway, especially this time of year.

[big bend gyrene]

Bought my PLB immediately after reading Nick Schuyler's book "Not Without Hope" that detailed the accident he survived but that killed his college / NFL football buddies. They made some boneheaded decisions (biggest being trying to pull anchor in rough seas by gunning the engine while tied off to the stern) that led to their fight to survive, but truth be known bet all of us have made our own boneheaded decisions from time to time. Know I've pushed my luck with waves, storms, and lightening sometimes by weighed choice and other times when caught by surprise on what started as bluebird days.

A PLB would have saved all four of the guys in Tampa in time for them to sleep in warm beds and laugh about their bad decisions later over a few beers. But lack of any form of communication led to three ultimately dying. Got the book at a super discounted price when Borders closed here in TLH and while it won't win a Pulitzer and the author's lack of fishing / boating expertise is quite evident, it still was a very interesting albeit sad read.

http://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-Hope- ... rd_title_0

Not Without Hope.jpg (249.12 KiB) Viewed 2597 times

[Rhettley]

I was researching the PLB's more and found a deal on TheHullTruth where a group of about 50 guys got together and BOE.com gave a deal on the ACR 2881 ResQLink+ PLB Floats w/o Pouch. I got it shipped for $243 and there is also a $50 rebate so it basically is selling for $193. This is the floating model with the strobe. This deal is still going for a few more days.
I'll feel a little safer with the family out there having this little device. Thanks for all the input.