FLARES

Author
Post
Essentials Only Full Version
pikepredator2
Expert Angler
  • Total Posts : 953
  • Reward points: 0
  • Joined: 2009/05/14 18:11:06
  • Status: offline
2012/05/07 17:14:14 (permalink)

FLARES

OK, been on-line and on the phone all day today. Time to buy, AGAIN, flares for the boat because the 2 year expiration date is up on the flares that i've been carrying. Here goes another $25-$30. Run out of people to give my expired but perfectly good (probably for the next 10 years) flares to. Been using 10 year old flares to start campfires (which means they still friggin work)! When I went searching on-line for flares with a longer expiration date, I came across LED, battery operated flares. Are these good enough? NO, because they are not Coast Guard approved. I called this company and had about a 1 hour coversation with the owner. This battery operated (red) flare not only lasts for 24 hours, is visible for miles, flashes an SOS morse code signal, but is completely water proof (you could wear it on your person if you went overboard). The kicker here is that one of his biggest customers for this electronic flare is the U.S. COAST GUARD! And he stated that they(the Coast Guard), don't want to get involved in trying to change the regs regarding coastal/great lakes fisherman regarding visual emergency devices. REALLY?  WHY? The name of this company is POWERFLARE, and if the Coast Guard is using this product than why can't we as boaters and fishermen, get it approved for Great Lakes use? If the Coast Guard doesn't want to use pyrotechnic devices on their boats, then why should we? And there is now a better/safer product out there, why haven't these been approved for general boating usage?
#1

4 Replies Related Threads
    BorgCollective
    Avid Angler
    • Total Posts : 186
    • Reward points: 0
    • Joined: 2010/03/25 13:57:47
    • Location: The BORG CUBE
    • Status: offline
    RE: FLARES 2012/05/07 20:03:41 (permalink)
    Just a thought, maybe donate the expired ones to a local volunteer fire dept. in exchange for a donation receipt and then claim the donation on your taxes?

    You will at least get some of your money out of the old ones.

    The fire dept. can always burn up the old ones for traffic control or some similar activity.

    Yes, we are still here!
    #2
    deetz4352
    Pro Angler
    • Total Posts : 3549
    • Reward points: 0
    • Status: offline
    RE: FLARES 2012/05/07 20:45:59 (permalink)
    I checked out these LED flares from http://www.powerflare.com/


    Looks good to me. And for those moving in the "green" environmental way of life , how could you lose. I may be purchasing one or two.

    The Deetz
    Fishermen are born honest,but they get over it
    #3
    BRob757
    New Angler
    • Total Posts : 41
    • Reward points: 0
    • Joined: 2012/05/09 00:12:05
    • Status: offline
    RE: FLARES 2012/05/13 03:03:43 (permalink)
    Remember when the FDA came out and said that cheaper prescription drugs from Canada weren't safe enough for us to purchase? Remember then when we found out that the VA purchases these same drugs for use in Veterans hospitals? They backed themselves into quite a corner saying that these drugs weren't safe enough for regular everyday joe's, yet they were safe enough for people that sacrificed for this country. I'm sure that you would find this scenario played over thousands of times with our federal agencies. Yeah, it is probably true that they would have to move heaven and earth to change even the simplest of laws.
    ORIGINAL: pikepredator2

    OK, been on-line and on the phone all day today. Time to buy, AGAIN, flares for the boat because the 2 year expiration date is up on the flares that i've been carrying. Here goes another $25-$30. Run out of people to give my expired but perfectly good (probably for the next 10 years) flares to. Been using 10 year old flares to start campfires (which means they still friggin work)! When I went searching on-line for flares with a longer expiration date, I came across LED, battery operated flares. Are these good enough? NO, because they are not Coast Guard approved. I called this company and had about a 1 hour coversation with the owner. This battery operated (red) flare not only lasts for 24 hours, is visible for miles, flashes an SOS morse code signal, but is completely water proof (you could wear it on your person if you went overboard). The kicker here is that one of his biggest customers for this electronic flare is the U.S. COAST GUARD! And he stated that they(the Coast Guard), don't want to get involved in trying to change the regs regarding coastal/great lakes fisherman regarding visual emergency devices. REALLY?  WHY? The name of this company is POWERFLARE, and if the Coast Guard is using this product than why can't we as boaters and fishermen, get it approved for Great Lakes use? If the Coast Guard doesn't want to use pyrotechnic devices on their boats, then why should we? And there is now a better/safer product out there, why haven't these been approved for general boating usage?

    #4
    steelreeling
    New Angler
    • Total Posts : 8
    • Reward points: 0
    • Joined: 2010/10/19 17:46:22
    • Status: offline
    RE: FLARES 2012/05/13 06:21:36 (permalink)
    Looks cool might be good to have onboard, but just in the first paragraph it clearly says can be seen for miles at night. Coast guard regs state flares are for use day and night.
    These things might not be bright enough during the day.
    #5
    Jump to: