Marine Light And Strobe

I been thinking about carrying flares for emergency situations and instead settled with one of these: Revere See Me Safety Strobe Light.  Got it at eBay for $20. 
Its a strobe / flashlight combo, water activated or manual on / off.  Fits nicely inside my pfd.

That's Chuck Hawley!  Huge loss when he left West Marine.  This guy has forgotten more about technical boating stuff than all of us will ever know.

Looks like this was shot at one of the West Marine Universities held at an undisclosed location    I was at that one I think.

This looks pretty interesting - Rescue Laser Light. Its small and compact.

BTW aren`t flares mandatory for ocean going water craft...and why wouldn`t ya carry them.if it has batteries it can fail  either way i carry a few flares.

I believe they are required for vessels over 16' ... from memory.  I'd have to look at the reg's again.  I usually carry 1-2 stored in my yak box.  Never know.

After these events, I am now carrying a distress signal light.  I go out an average of 3 times a month (just too lazy to post fishing reports)

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=68671.0

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=69017.0

 

  I have an old school Xenon(?) strobe that used a single D cell. Its USCG approved.  (No pictures) I attach it to my PFD right shoulder strap when I wear it.  While on-board the USS Virginia, all crew members working on deck near the fantail during Vertreps, had to have one on their person, since all wore work vests the strobes were attached to them. 

 

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=68671.0

I plan to take several actions based on this experience:

1.   Get a fish finder with a gps tracking feature so I can use it to find my way back to my launch site.
2.   Always take a flashlight even if I plan to land well before dark.
3.   Get a strobe light as recommended by the coast guard; they are much more visible than a flashlight.
4.   Get flares.
5.   Take more clothing (at least a jacket).
6.   Watch the fog more closely.  The coast guard said they had already rescued a kayaker earlier in the day when the fog came in and he could not find his way

I got the combo unit, Revere See Me Safety Strobe Light.  Found great deals at eBay.

 
   During my E4 days (OS3) Operations specialist, if I was on duty during a Vert rep, I always used to be the one on the 04 deck aft I forget what the "Watch station" was called now, but I talked with the bridge operator about where the helo was in relation to the ship, where the load was, hovering, 10' 5' or on deck, basically informing the bridge everything that was going on over the deck.
  I always grabbed the same vest and helmet.  It had that old D-cell Xenon strobe.  Hated "Sweepers" especially out in the Indian ocean!  yards sand not buckets but yards sand had to swept off the ship daily!  It sucked too because not everyone started their sweepers at the same moment! 
  If you were unlucky enough to be sweeping the main deck you needed to wait till the upper decks finished or you'd never be done!
  Never had to "Muster at the master at arms"  Gawd this was 32 years ago now!