Re: [Paddlewise] Use of a strobe

On 9/29/06, Tom Buckley <nbrunner_at_telus.net> wrote:
>
> I have been reading conflicting opinions (go figure) on whether it is
> appropriate to use a strobe at night strictly to be seen or not. Other
> articles say it should be used for emergencies only. I would like to hear
> some thoughts from the list on this.
>

Strictly for emergencies and even then with caution.

Two problems with strobes:

1. If you are in waves higher than 2 or 3 feet the strobe's flashing may not
be seen because when you come up onto the top of the wave the strobe might
not be on;

2. A strobe is so bright that it ruins night vision for anyone who looks at
it. The flashing characteristic of a strobe means that rescuers cannot get a
reliable fix on your position because their eyes carry a residual image from
the bright strobe.

When we did some testing 25 years ago when strobes first came out we
compared them to the incandescent lights that back then operated off a
single D-cell battery. We found that people in the water were much easier to
rescue if they were wearing the incandescent light as opposed to the strobe.
Even though the incandescent light seemed much dimmer.

My wife and I subsequently cruised a sailboat for five years with an
incandescent light pinned to our safety harnesses. We each had two, by the
way: one for wearing over a tee-shirt and one for wearing over foulies.

I recommend the use of a steady LED as a rescue locator. These work very
well especially for US boaters since the USCG night rescue personnel use
night vision goggles when they are out on a mission and they  can see quite
dim lights.

Craig Jungers
Royal City, WA
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