Boater Safety: 3 Essential Life-Saving Tools For Every Voyage

It's very important to bring the necessary safety equipment onboard whenever you go out on a boat, whether you plan on fishing, waterskiing, snorkeling, diving, day sailing, or just partying overnight. If you choose to store it on the vessel, give it the once over often to ensure it's in good shape.

The United States Coast Guard has varying requirements for different vessels, but certain essential items will ensure your safety and keep you out of trouble. On that note, let's take a look at them.

1. Personal Locator Beacon

A PLB (personal locator beacon) is a marine electronic device similar to a Cat 1 or 2 Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons, but can also be attached to a Type I USCG Life Jacket or be placed in a Rapid Ditch Bag for use should an emergency arise.

As you get further from shore, your ability to contact 911 may become more sporadic. A PLB is much more dependable in the case of a dire emergency. The PLB satellite technology, COSPAS-SARSAT, is a joint government-military effort. The PLB is significantly more dependable than conventional satellite-based networks or standard cell service since it relies on this technology, which allows it to function anywhere on the planet.

If you're looking for personal locator beacons for your next trip, check out Captain's Marine Supplies' complete line of ACR, Garmin, McMurdo, Ocean Signal & SPOT Personal Locator Beacons.

2. Rapid Ditch Bag

If you're spending a significant amount of time away from the coast in the Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Ocean, or the Great Lakes, you should carry a Rapid Ditch Bag, also known as an Abandon Ship Bag. Bags like this are made to carry the essentials you'll need to survive and signal for aid. If you ever need to abandon ship, they should always be within easy reach.

Your Rapid Ditch Bag should contain Solas – Grade Flares, an Epirb or PLB (Personal Locator Beacon), Hand–Held VHF w / GPS Capabilities & Satellite Phone followed by Visual & Sound Signaling Devices. Either your liferaft or Rapid Ditch Bag should also contain an adequate supply of Water, or a Hand Operated Reverse – Osmosis Watermaker, Medical Kit & Survival Gear.

3. Medical Kit

Slipping on the deck and cutting yourself open, having a fish hook become trapped in your skin, or being cut by a fishing line or the dock line are just a few of the many possible injuries that can occur on a boat. Get a first aid kit with gauze, bandages, antibiotic cream, disinfectant wipes, and more. Make sure that any minor injuries or illnesses are taken care of on the boat so that an unnecessary journey to shore is avoided.

Anyone who wishes to buy marine supplies online should visit Captain's Marine Supply's online store. We are among the top places to shop for marine supplies online and offer a wide range of products. Whether you need to buy marine radio antennas or want to buy fishing reels online, we have it all. Call us today for more information about our products!