Bill, The advice I received was off line and included a link to an Australian shop which sells flares and does flare tuition and demo's - for which I was very grateful - but it would have been out of line to publish it on Paddlewise. My problem was that the smaller flares for PFD's sometimes don't meet the Australian Maritime Services Board requirements for off shore paddling. One solution was to carry on the PFD two Comet no 1315 day/night flare/smoke "combo's" and one Comet 1328 red night flare. These were roughly 19x3cm each. Additionally on the kayak to carry two Pains-Wessex MK2 flares, one of the Pains-Wessex Day Smoke MK3 and one Pains-Wessex MK3 Para Red Rocket. This seems to be a sensible way to meet the requirements. If anyone would like a Web link to the shop please let me know by private email and I will send it. Thanks to Peter Rattenbury for your advice - I intend to carry smoke/flares and an EPIRB for offshore trips, in the hope that if a disaster strikes and theres a boat in sight I would try the smoke/flares first and if that didn't work then activate the EPIRB. Has anyone actually been in this circumstance? Is smoke/flares first and EPIRB second a practical strategy? By the way the EPIRB you describe is almost the same cost as the full complement of flares described above! Looking forward to paddling with you again sometime and practicing those Klepper self rescues in rougher water. PeterO Bill Leonhardt wrote : - > I think I missed any discussion we had about flares. I'm interested in > hearing what was said. Peter Rattenbury wrote : - > If I was to carry flares, rather than smoke, I would carry at least three >parachute flares. One of Murphy's famous laws states: > The reaction by spotters, who, by the way, are NOT looking for flares to >spring up out of the horizon, is to the first flare: "What was that? Is >that a flare?" > Reaction to second flare, fired, say a minute later: "Hey, that looks like >a flare. May be someone in trouble." > Reaction to third flare: "Hey, it IS a flare." > In summary, I take comfort in the knowledge that my EPIRB will work >anywhere, anytime, night or day, like my PFD, regardless of sea and weather >conditions. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Fri Jul 16 1999 - 20:35:43 PDT
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