EPIRB, PLB, or both?

[bsangs]

Just wondering what the consensus is on EPIRBs and PLBs among the Ericson crowd. It's our final safety addition for this season, which is going to entail mainly cruising Lower NY Harbor, the Long Island Sound and also along the Jersey Shore, though not too far out. Seems to me that PLBs would suffice, since we won't be more than a couple miles offshore at any given time - assuming nothing catastrophic happens - but the old Boy Scout in me keeps whispering to be prepared, so I'm wondering if I should just bite the Boat Bucks bullet and get both. I'm not cheap, mind you, but I aIso have both a fixed and handheld VHF equipped with distress buttons and with MMSI programmed in each, and also have Tow BoatUS, so there's a lot of redundancy already available. Fire away and thanks in advance for the opinions.

 

[Christian Williams]

Sounds like you're already well equipped for the jobs.

My EPIRB has a long battery life, which is good if awaiting rescue for days. I also believe in an Iridium satellite phone for such potential situations (you can take a waterproof phone into the life raft with you).

I think of GPS EPIRB for the boat, and PLBs for crews.

It is easy to convince yourself to carry every known device, but we need to be able to stop somewhere.

 

[N.A.]

Well, not knowing what to do I slowly, expensively did all options:

GPIRB (GPS EPIRB) -- this I trust and recommend; floats, lasts/big battery. You can throw it in the water and jump in after it. Or whatever.

GPS PLB: -- not sure this was worth it. Got it in package with GPIRB. Nothing wrong with it, but:
1. Doesn't auto-deploy. Maybe NY is warmer, but out here (bay area), I don't think it would be that easy to turn on, especially if attached to the now-huge-inflated-bladder of a spinlock or whatever.
2. Further, if you take the US Sailing safety at sea course (which I thought was well worth the time/money) it will rapidly become clear that the cold water immersion shock will make all that harder. Plus the rescue response to a PLB will be well over 30 min, and survival out here due to cold (not even assuming bad waves) is not great past an hour or so, so they say. But they'll know where your body is.
3. Will that antenna really be out of the water far enough to work? Hmm... maybe not.
4. I guess it is backup for my GPIRB...

AIS PLB (MOB1) -- Well, I got one... and have it on the inflatable harness vest. Pro: it auto-deploys. Con: turns out, in the US you are not allowed to program it to do an all-ships-DSC-distress call. Makes sense: too many false alarms I'm sure. But... that means the thing only calls ?!? your own vessel's MMSI. As if they didn't already know you were gone (or you were singlehanding? Bummer). You can do all-ships by pushing the right button while in the water... which you won't be able to see since it will be on the other side of that huge inflated bladder. And the cold shock... I have no confidence that I can do it right in a pinch. Antenna doubts when floating in the water too (certainly rough water) match the GPS PLB
--> The major pro of an AIS unit is that when the helicopter or boat comes for you, they can home in on it, unlike a GPS PLB. And this one, if anyone is coming, and if the antenna works, will be going even after you pass out. Not long range -- AIS is line-of-sight I expect, vs. satellite PLB.

Standard Horizon HX890 handheld VHF with DSC -- oh, yeah... been wearing this all along, and... it has a bigger batter, more capability, and EASY all-ships DSC distress call. And it was cheaper by far than any other option mentioned. Westmarine actually told me to do that, despite my preparing to buy the MOB1, but I didn't listen.

Take home, IMHO:
- GPIRB: of course.
- GPS PLB: seems like a waste but since I own it, I wear it (on my non-inflatable vest, along with the handheld VHF)
- AIS PLB: jury's out, but I wear it anyway... well, I wear it when wearing the harness/inflatable. Along with the handheld VHF...
- Handheld VHF with DSC -- will always wear this, have most confidence I can make it work, all ships DSC the second you flip that easy-to-find-even-by-finger red cover open. And cheapest by far. And a GPS VHF... just plain handy. I tend to think everyone should have one even if you're not using it for MOB-type safety.

I will be getting some sort of satellite phone (InReach or something) -- been listening to the USCG on Ch16 trying to deal with people offshore around here whose cellphones have no reception -- what an unnecessary mess at the worst time. Garmin, here I come. Still have to do my homework on which one of those to get, though...

Good luck with your choice(s).

 

[bsangs]

@N.A. - That’s the same handheld I have as well, and that big distress button is a nice option. Thanks for the detailed breakdown.

@Christian Williams - You have one of those sat phones the bad guys always seem to use in pre-iPhone days movies? I have read the newer iPhones have an emergency sat connection if out of cellular range, but hadn’t even thought of a true sat phone. Guess I’ll be adding that to the “ Should I?” list.

 

[Christian Williams]

I rent them. I used to own one and it had no purpose other than long cruises. (I rent the bigger antenna, too)

It is the monthly fee and the buying of chip time that dissuades from keeping one in a drawer in case of earthquake, flood or locusts.

 

[N.A.]

I wouldn't rely on the newer iPhone/etc satellite capability. The phones have a very weak antenna for that application -- just compare to the honker on all those Garmin InReach models -- and resultant connection will be weak and slow. There is no "live texting" capacity with that mode as far as I know; unsure anyone can even reply -- the capability is there in case someone follows their GPS map into a sandpit in Death Valley away from a cell tower... there you can wait 30 minutes while standing in the open for a text to go through to 911, and they will come look for you. At sea, if you want that connectivity you will want better than this, so get a true satphone/InReach type device.

Cell service is poor not far from the coast out here (even poor in parts of the bay - you don't have to go far); Garmin has some plan options that are cheaper -- few texts allowed, and then big fees for many texts. But low monthy, and that one time you need it $200 in texts probably won't bother you. Anyway, you might look and see what they offer. That said, and in keeping with @Christian Williams comment, the monthly has still kept me from getting one... yet.