Spring Time PFD Check Over

This link will take you to USBOAT and talks about things to check over on your PFD’s before your first outing of the year.

PFD’s Checklist

A good practice for something that is usually neglected or overlooked. Just looked all mine over today when I loaded the boat.

Thanks for the reminder Brian.

I blow ours up every spring, just haven’t gotten to it yet.

Re-armed my FW’s last year, my Mustang is finally due during this season (5 years is up)

My flares expire in July or August, something that a lot of people forget. I also keep three immersion suits (Gumby suits) on the boat, need to take them out for an annual inspection yet.

Also added a PLB and a real ditch bag to the safety arsenal this season. Registration was a piece of cake.

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Dump the flairs B.

Talk to Dean Marshall about the USCG approved strobe that never expires (unless the batteries go dead). The strobe is waterproof, floats and continuously flashes SOS.

Comes with a distress flag for daytime use.

They’re about $100. But do pay for themselves.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

Dump the flairs B.

Talk to Dean Marshall about the USCG approved strobe that never expires (unless the batteries go dead). The strobe is waterproof, floats and continuously flashes SOS.

Comes with a distress flag for daytime use.

They’re about $100. But do pay for themselves.

Damn…. I just bought new flairs, forgetting about the strobe option. I now have two packages of expired flairs and even my new one is only good for two years. I hate buying these things…. next time.

I knew when I saw this thread who started it before I opened it.

Just purchased a mustang last year. Thanks for the reminder and checklist. Hadn’t thought about strobe idea. Thanks B.K.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

Dump the flairs B.

Talk to Dean Marshall about the USCG approved strobe that never expires (unless the batteries go dead). The strobe is waterproof, floats and continuously flashes SOS.

Comes with a distress flag for daytime use.

They’re about $100. But do pay for themselves.

I know a couple guys that have that model, I have an ACR strobe myself.

Not worried what is the cheapest option, I’m worried what will draw the most attention in an emergency, so I’ll keep buying current flares and save the old ones too

Have you ever shot a flare off before? Not only are they bright and high in the sky, but they are also deafening lol

A 12 gauge flare can be seen a lot farther away than a handheld strobe, and the noise will draw attention to closer vessels as well.

After the first set of flairs were expired, I figured I should make sure I knew how they worked. Found out that they became wet in the original packaging and were totally worthless.

The Coast Guard Auxiliary told me about these lights when they were doing a voluntary safety inspection. Then a few months later Dean had one at the Boat Center.

Personally I don’t think they are as bright as a flair, but they last a whole lot longer.

That is the one downside of having them in a boat. A dry bag or a food saver bag will really help. They have to be treated just like ammunition.

The one I shot off was over 2 years expired. It startled me to say the least lol definitely louder than a shotgun

I was expecting a “pop”

It was a “KA-BOOM!!! Lol

I ran and hid in the house for a half hour expecting the cops to come I won’t shoot one off in town again

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LOL! That’s right. I forgot there are a number of types of flairs.

I always bought the type that were legal for day and night use. They remind me of a road flair.

The ones that shoot in the sky are made for daytime use and a person would need 3 day and 3 night flairs to be compliant to the six pack license rules.