Light & comms
Marine VHF Radio
The maritime radio standard, monitored by coastguards on channel 16. Licensing rules vary by country.
Scenario
Jaws
The water is closed. Nobody will say so.
There is something in the bay that has learned people are food, and a town whose entire year depends on the bay staying open. The animal is the smaller problem. The meeting about the animal is the larger one.
What kills you
Water, and the economics of admitting it.
Rules
- 01Nobody swims alone, at dusk, or bleeding.
- 02Boats smaller than the thing are transport, not safety.
- 03Believe the person with nothing to sell.
- 04Shallow is not the same as safe.
The kit
5 itemsPhones do not work offshore. This does, and it reaches everyone at once.
The one piece of equipment that works while you are unconscious.
Medical
Inflatable Life Vest
Packs small until it is needed. Manual and automatic inflation models handle an unconscious wearer differently.
Everything on a boat is either sealed or ruined.
Shelter
Waterproof Dry Bag
A roll-top bag that keeps contents dry when the outside is not. Roll it three turns or it is just a bag.
Expensive once. Free every day you do not need it.
Light & comms
Personal Locator Beacon
Transmits a distress signal with your position on a dedicated satellite system. Registration is required and free.
Being found is a separate skill from staying afloat.
Light & comms
High Visibility Signal Kit
Panels, mirror and flag for being seen deliberately. Passive signalling that needs no power.
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