Re: [Paddlewise] VHF Radio Use

At 03:05 PM 06/07/2000 -0400, MJAkayaker_at_aol.com wrote:

>Am I seriously overestimating the value of the VHF radio?

No, you are certainly not.  Any item which costs only $200 and can, in many situations, save a life or prevent damage, is certainly worth it.

Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, so far as I'm aware every part of the Bay is reachable by VHF.  It can be used, in a pinch, to call home -- important because much of the South Bay is out of cell phone range.  It can be used to summon emergency care and could cut hours out of rescue time for such an event as a dislocated shoulder.  It could also be used to prevent an expensive rescue effort when one is not needed -- for example, if one is greatly overdue and family might be tempted to call 911 on your behalf.  (The Coast Guard can now bill you for rescue costs.)

One of the cases in Sea Kayaker: Deep Trouble illustrated both the necessity for, and limitations of, VHF radio.  The trip leader was in the water with two others in conditions which prevented any of them from staying upright.  He used the radio repeatedly and finally summoned help.  But the rescuers searched the area he was theoretically in, while his signal weakened and began to break up.  When all of them were quite near death a rescue boat guessed that they might be swept far north of their stated position and stumbled into them.  The motorboat's VHF radio was used to bring in the CG helicopter which got them to hospital in time to keep them all alive.  Read Deep Trouble to get the full story.  It is quite a good book.  I would like to see a sequel or an expanded edition sometime as there are many important lessons in it.

jerry.
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