TowBoatUS San Diego Urges Boaters to Use Personal Locator Beacons

For years most commercial marine companies have required all personnel to wear lifejackets (PFD’s). Now Personal Locator Beacons (PLB’s) has become required equipment in several marine companies and for good reason. Cases have come up where a vessel sinks and the EPIRB has gone down with the boat or boaters drift away from the beacon.  Vessel Assist San Diego now requires all captains to wear a PLB with their lifejackets while aboard Vessel Assist Boats. “It’s simple, Property is replaceable lives are not,” said Captain Robert Butler Owner of Vessel Assist San Diego. For just a couple hundred dollars a PLB will give you the outright best chance of surviving. There are several ways to call for help in an emergency. VHF radio, Cell phones, SPOT assist, all in the right conditions can work to get help when needed. None of them are as certain as a PLB. The PLB transmits at 406.028 MHz/121.5MHz and attached to a person, the beacon will be honed in to the person not the vessel. Some boaters have set up ditch bags in case they have an emergency. But there have been cases where boats have hit objects and before anyone has a chance they are in the water, the ditch bag is either lost or stuck in a capsized boat. If a person has a PLB attached to their PFD they will have the best possible chance to be rescued. Bottom line is people are still dying in offshore marine accidents. The United States Coast Guard recommends all persons on board to wear a PFD and a PLB. AquaLink® 406 GPS Personal Locator Beacon Is the required equipment for Vessel Assist San Diego Captains. There are other brands like FastFind 210 GPS Personal Location Beacon that are less expensive but still effective.

 

Aqualink
Aqualink 406 GPS Personal Locator Beacon
Activation Method Manual
Application Hiking, Inland Boating, Coastal Cruising, Abandon Ship Bags, Life Rafts
Battery Life 6 years
Dimensions 2.25 x 5.88 x 1.49? (5.72 x 14.94 x 3.78 cm)
Floating Yes
GPS Enabled Yes
PLB Type PLB
Strobe Yes
Transmit Time 24 hours
Waterproof 16.40ft (5 m) @ 1 hr., 33 ft (10 m) @ 10 min

 

Fastfind
FastFind 210 GPS Personal Location Beacon
Activation Method Manual
Application Hiking/Inland Boating, Coastal Cruising, Abandon Ship Bags, Life Raft
Battery Life 5 years
Dimensions 4.17″H x 1.85″W x 1.34″D (10.5 x 4.6 x 3.4 cm)
Floating No
GPS Enabled Yes
PLB Type PLB
Strobe Yes
Transmit Time 24 hours
Waterproof 33 ft (10 m) @ 10 min.

Vessel Assist San Diego chose the Aqualink based on its company research. We encourage all boaters to research what unit fits them best. Vessel Assist San Diego recommends all mariners wear a PLB attached to their PFD. Our West Coast fishing can often drive us dozens of miles offshore and often in Mexican waters. A PLB will allow your location to be transmitted should the unthinkable happen. In closing, once you have purchased your PLB make sure you register it. This is a very simple process and is required for the PLB to be effective. If you have any questions regarding this article please call us at Vessel Assist San Diego 619-235-8273. West Marine has both of the units on display and usually in stock.