If You Are Going Offshore

Almost Perfect · August 23

Be prepared. Most of you have people that want you to get home safe.

PLB's and EPIRB's are so reasonable these days that there is no excuse not to have one.

Same with VHF radios with DSC networked to chart plotter.

Have a well stocked first aid kit with bleed control like Israeli bandages or the like. You are potentially hours away from help.

Invest in type 1 life jackets.

Might be extreme for some but with my spot my non-fishing relatives and people I trust not to steal my fishing holes can follow me. Especially nice when we are doing trips across the stream or the Bahamas. It pings my location approx. every 5 minutes.

I'll get off my soap box now but it is tough to watch a week long search get called off and now kids are being told that their dads aren't coming home.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030354/uploads/editor/9n/7136i8yvz8s0.png

Soda Popinski · August 23

It is very sad yes. And there is definitely no excuse not to have the proper safety equipment. I always tell the Mrs what reef we are going to and when we should be checking in, and at what point she knows there is an issue. Have those plans in place. It won't ever happen to you..until it happens to you.

Twinfins · August 23

Almost Perfect. Which SPOT do you have and are you happy with it?

mburke001 aka TripleB · August 23

Most importantly, as many here do, check the weather (I also have Sirius weather system on the boat) and maintain the boat before going out. Doesn’t matter offshore or inshore, should always have certain safety equipment (redundancy is good).

THINKICAN · August 23

Absolutely agree with the safety equipment. Can't believe my first trip to Bimini in a 21' Stamas we used a portable radio to get the "null" on the Bimini beacon. It worked, but with all the new safety equipment these days I'd never even consider trying that again. Of course, that was back in the 60's. It only takes one "error" and you can be statistic.

Slough · August 23

Don't skimp on safety equipment. Just the basics (what CG requires) is not enough.

biglar · August 24

Twinfins said:

Almost Perfect. Which SPOT do you have and are you happy with it?

Not your guy, but I'm curious as to performance of Spots on the ocean. Should be OK, I'd think. I used a Spot I and a Spot II (I think) extensively in the mountains and finally gave up on them. Performance was so erratic and undependable they were worthless. I still have my Spot II and will soon be in FL. Might be handy, finally, after all.

ANUMBER1 · August 24

Slough said:

Don't skimp on safety equipment. Just the basics (what CG requires) is not enough.

actually the CG basics for commercial boats is really good..
Maybe you should emulate that...

lakeman · August 24

I agree with everyone, but many diehard, wannabe boaters with lower incomes do not or cannot or will not spend the money to equip their boat properly. As most of us know, it is not if, but when a breakdown happens and this can happen on old or new boats.

mburke001 aka TripleB · August 24

biglar said:

Twinfins said:

Almost Perfect. Which SPOT do you have and are you happy with it?

Not your guy, but I'm curious as to performance of Spots on the ocean. Should be OK, I'd think. I used a Spot I and a Spot II (I think) extensively in the mountains and finally gave up on them. Performance was so erratic and undependable they were worthless. I still have my Spot II and will soon be in FL. Might be handy, finally, after all.

Get the minimum, a PLB, and use the Spot as a secondary. I have the Inreach Satellite Texting Communicator as a secondary.

capt louie · August 24

My PLB will be delivered any day now. Fished 40 years with out anything here.

Don't need to push my luck.

Almost Perfect · August 24

Spot works pretty good. Would I trust my life to it? No.

Top Contender · August 24

Inreach for offshore communication and tracking.
Put your vessel numbers and name on your life jackets and life raft if you have one.
If you travel more than 30 miles offshore you should have two forms of communication as well as an EPIRB. Hand held as well as parachute flares, also dye packs.
Have a Jim buoy life ring rigged with rope.
Strobes attached to each life vest.
Have a plan, make sure your crew know where everything is. You may not be conscious, everyone needs to know how to deal with an emergency.
No body looses a vessel to a slow developing problem, if you’re gonna go down it’s cause things happen fast and/or panic sets in.

OFFSHORECHICKEN · August 26

a plb, good vhf, a float plan of area you are fishing and route to and from, and stay with the boat if you can, capsized or overturned, stay with it, anchor it if you can, they always find the boat, kinda weird they didnt with the fire fighters, it must of sunk,

OFFSHORECHICKEN · August 26

why isnt there a float plan app that sends your info to a cloud server, when you are overdue emergency responders search the cloud for your id, pull off your float plan and start from there, i tried to invent this 10 yrs ago but dont have the connections

AC Man · August 26

When I got older, and wasn't a idiot any more, my number one safety device in my mind was a life raft.

When I went offshore early on I carried a rolled up rubber float. At least kept me out of the water

When I got my 36 Contender with friends and family running 100 miles offshore it was a must to have a life raft.. The older I got the more safety gear I had. Yes I had a EPIRB, but if you sink well offshore you are dead from hypothermia well before the Epitrb sends the rescue.

THINKICAN · August 26

Sounds to me as if those who know say all you can get is never too much. Safety equipment!

M4Real · August 26

I always wear a waterproof pouch on my hip that has a ACR PLB, three flares, a whistle, small flashlight, bubblegum, and two emergency packs of water in it. If I go in the drink, I at least have a chance.

Salty Dawg44 · August 27

Back when I was running fishing charters to the Gulfstream in South Carolina, I had an 8 man self inflating life raft that I permanently mounted in its canister on the bow of my boat. Peace of mind is well worth the expense.

If You Are Going Offshore

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