Epirb - Manual or Manual/water operated

[M1100S]

So i just got an Epirb for my boat ( GME MT600G ) and it is a manually operated one. while driving home i was thinking maybe i should have gotten the water activated one instead. For example i was thinking if it is in its mounting bracket on the boat and for some reason the boat flips upside down cause of a freak wave how would one actually reach the EPRIB to activate it, thus rendering a manual version useless. If i had a water activated one i assume if it goes underwater it gets activated (is my logic correct).

What is best to get..... is it better with a manual one in a safety grab bag within reach with all the other flares/v sheets etc good enough, or better to have a mounted one that is Manual/water activated ?

Also i got the manual one cause i was actually going to get a PLB and attach it to my life vest as an added piece of insurance. even though i dont go out very far yet i was thinking what happens if i get knocked out of the boat an cannot get back to my boat... at least i have the PLB on me and can activate that 

 

 

 

 

[zmk1962]

With respect to all of your questions, I think it just depends on what you feel safe with - after all it is only you that knows how you will use your boat and under what conditions ....and in reality the EPIRB is the device you will rely on when all your other safety precautions have failed.

Personally I have an MT600G just like yours and it is mounted in a prominent position near the helm but there is nothing that stipulates it has to be hard mounted - it could sit in your safety grab bag with your flares etc if you feel safer with it being there. The main thing is that you and your crew know EXACTLY where it is in an emergency and you all know who is going to do what and how to activate it... There is also the requirement that you can show you have one if requested by MSB as part of their routine safety check. 

Regarding your comments on a PLB, if you are boating solo, as a first you should definitely have a kill switch lanyard attached to yourself, so that if you do go overboard the motor will stop and you have a chance to get back to your vessel. If that is not enough safety for you, then consider a PLB. In my case, I never go solo offshore. If I was to invest in a PLB, then I should really be thinking about one for each of my crew.... or maybe we just shouldn't go out if the conditions are that iffy. 

Cheers Zoran

 

[JonD]

All comercial vessels are about to be forced to auto activating epirb's which float away from vessels like the life rafts do. These are far more expensive and can still easily get trapped under an overturned boat.

If my boat turns over in rough seas I'm confident I could quite easily retrieve it but this might not be the case for everyone. I also carry a small kti plb which can be easily be fitted to a pfd. The kti plb and epirb's tick way more boxes than other brands. I also make sure my kids take the plb when they head out into the bush. So manual kti epirb for me as well as the plb.

Another safety product I carry is a Garmin inreach mini. This little gadget allows two way comuniction anywhere on the plannet using the iridium satellite network. With limited phone reception in rural areas as well as offshore the Garmin is cheap insurance in terms of safety. I travel offshore out of phone range as well as tow my boat up through the inland backroads of QLD where two way communication is pretty important. Each message has lat and long info tagged with the message so contacts can see where the message is sent from etc. I can also get detailed weather forecasts and connect with my phone to use as a keypad. Being a dad on the water with kids has always made me plan for the worst, which includes first aid etc.

Edited June 4, 2020 by JonD

[kingie chaser]

1 hour ago, JonD said:

All comercial vessels are about to be forced to auto activating epirb's which float away from vessels like the life rafts do. These are far more expensive and can still easily get trapped under an overturned boat.

If my boat turns over in rough seas I'm confident I could quite easily retrieve it but this might not be the case for everyone. I also carry a small kti plb which can be easily be fitted to a pfd. The kti plb and epirb's tick way more boxes than other brands. I also make sure my kids take the plb when they head out into the bush. So manual kti epirb for me as well as the plb.

Another safety product I carry is a Garmin inreach mini. This little gadget allows two way comuniction anywhere on the plannet using the iridium satellite network. With limited phone reception in rural areas as well as offshore the Garmin is cheap insurance in terms of safety. I travel offshore out of phone range as well as tow my boat up through the inland backroads of QLD where two way communication is pretty important. Each message has lat and long info tagged with the message so contacts can see where the message is sent from etc. I can also get detailed weather forecasts and connect with my phone to use as a keypad. Being a dad on the water with kids has always made me plan for the worst, which includes first aid etc.

I have the KTI plb for when I am off grid land based, never had to use it & hopefully never have to but its there for a reason.

The Garmin inreach is great but you also have to be aware you have it activated to a monthly fee service like a mobile phone.

 

I don't think its a bad idea to have 2 forms of insurance, boat & personal based.

I just don't think a want to be trying to send txt messages while bopping up & down in the seas.

[JonD]

57 minutes ago, kingie chaser said:

I have the KTI plb for when I am off grid land based, never had to use it & hopefully never have to but its there for a reason.

The Garmin inreach is great but you also have to be aware you have it activated to a monthly fee service like a mobile phone.

 

I don't think its a bad idea to have 2 forms of insurance, boat & personal based.

I just don't think a want to be trying to send txt messages while bopping up & down in the seas.

Yes the yearly costs around $120 for mine, this gives me unlimited certain set message and a certain amount of other preset messages. The emergency button is more like activating a plb but you also have the option to communicate two ways if you want. It is a pain setting it up and it's also struggled in dence bush but at least I can stay in touch when I'm out at places like Lady Musgrave for a few days and get marine weather forecasts for the exact location, been caught out every trip out there so far!!!

 

It's being able to let people know I may be late because of an issue that would ordinarily have marine rescue out searching for me.