flares. Led / laser or pyro.

[Firefly625]

we took 15 expired flares into Woking Police station 2 months ago, explained what they were and asked if they could help, they took them from us quite happily..

 

[Elessar]

I can understand the justification for removing all flares, though personally I'm keeping mine for the forseeable. But surely once you have one kind on board, you might as well have the others too? It's no harder to take two smokes and four handhelds to a disposal point (if you can find one) than it is to take just the two smokes.

Pete

Disposal wasn't my motivation for not having the others, and smoke is important to have in my view.

 

[Greg2]

That's interesting, they did one in PBO too and I seem to remember they weren't terribly complementary. Certainly in the pictures the flare is far, far brighter than the laser, though the laser manufacturers make the point that after thirty seconds the laser is far brighter than the (dead) flare!

Pete

Ah, maybe it was PBO. I don't read it regularly but sometimes buy a copy if I am travelling and there is something of interest in it.

As I say, I was relying on memory and when I said they came out oaky I was thinking not neccisarily better than pyrotechnics but different and okay as an alternative. I guess both have their advantages and disadvantages and it will be personal choice when factoring in considerations such as safety, longevity, ability to be illuminated far longer than a pyrotechnic versus better illumination, more likely to be recognised as a distress signal etc.

 

[z1ppy]

Ok, so doing a bit more research and it looks like the main players are Odeo LED flare or Greatland Laser Flare.

The Greatland lasers are smaller (physically) and cheaper but appear to offer the same end result...

I have spoken to the UK importer who is maybe a member on here but certainly on other forums i go to who has been very helpful. will be placing an order for one over the weekend and will let you know what its like.

i am of the view that this is a supplementary means of attracting attention. DSC, VHF Hand held GPS (for specific position if not available from the boats main GPS)

just need to look at PLB now to put in our grab bag and we will be all set...

Thanks for all your comments, appreciate there are many views on this and it comes down to personal preference, (unless you are coded when you have no option at this stage)

 

[prv]

Disposal wasn't my motivation for not having the others, and smoke is important to have in my view.

Fair enough, I guess it saves a few quid as well.

Definitely agree that it's worth having something to pinpoint your exact location - or in our part of the world, to show the helicopter which of the 200 white boats in sight is you! I'd probably keep the red handhelds - usable at night, and still very visible in daylight - but the rockets are definitely less necessary. They were always the "long range initial alerting" one, and there are lots of alternatives for that now.

Pete

 

[Elessar]

Fair enough, I guess it saves a few quid as well.

Definitely agree that it's worth having something to pinpoint your exact location - or in our part of the world, to show the helicopter which of the 200 white boats in sight is you! I'd probably keep the red handhelds - usable at night, and still very visible in daylight - but the rockets are definitely less necessary. They were always the "long range initial alerting" one, and there are lots of alternatives for that now.

Pete

Yep agree 100%.
(Sadly I still have a locker full of rockets as my boat is coded.)

 

[henryf]

We are also forced to carry a lot of fireworks on board. What with the boat flares and liferaft grab bags we could give Gunwharf a run for their money each year!

For what it's worth I think the orange smoke is useful particularly in the life raft. I am also a fan of the red rocket. Day or night if it all goes tits up shoot one up in the sky and I guarantee a response. Good luck with the laser torch. I can not see it as a credible alternative to flares.

The red hand held is my least favourite. I've set them off on a sea survival course and they are quite dangerous, you need to keep some asbestos gloves and goggles to go with them. Once used they are bloody hot. The only thing I will say is there's no change of mistaking them for navigation or running lights as I fear might happen with the laser torch.

Yes, I know we all have radios, spare radios, back up radios, phones, quad copters, bed sheets and in JFM's case glow in the dark scatter cushions but in a real emergency when the whole work is coming to an end it takes 5 seconds to fire up a flare, you don't need batteries and everyone on the planet knows to get help or come to your assistance.

I'd just assume you were having a party and had gone 1 better than underwater lights with the flares.

Henry

 

[saab96]

I'm interested in LED flare as alternative to fireworks. Apparently more people are injured than rescued from setting off flares and from experience I'm not at all surpised. What can you say about Odeo from experience now? Do you think it would attract attention as well as or better than a flare?

 

[Talulah]

Noticed the Odeo flares had now dropped to below £100 in local chandlery.
Whilst I think it is always possible to come up with more and more bizarre scenarios why people should hang on to traditional flares I would be happy to see their demize. As is I am required to have them being a coded boat.

 

[[70521]]

It would be interesting to hear the opinion of a SAR helo pilot on how they rate both types?

 

[prv]

Whilst I think it is always possible to come up with more and more bizarre scenarios why people should hang on to traditional flares I would be happy to see their demize. As is I am required to have them being a coded boat.

I would certainly support coded boats having the option to dispense with pyros, on the basis of a "Pick one from list A, two from list B, etc" type approach to safety kit. But personally I'll be keeping a set on board for the foreseeable future, there's nothing quite like flaming magnesium for attracting attention in the busy waters where I sail.

Pete

 

[pks1702]

 

[tony_lavelle]

Why is the Odeo LED flare referred to, even by Yachting Monthly, as a "laser" flare?
Confused of Pratts Bottom.

 

[tony_lavelle]

Mystery solved: I've had this reply from Kevin Rough of Daniamant:
"The old version was laser the new Mk 3 is LED. Please see our website www.daniamant.com for all product details and where to buy."

So the current Odeo Mk3 is NOT a laser flare and the review by Yachting Monthly was for a fundamentally different product.

 

[oceanfroggie]

Good thread.

I removed all pyrotechnic flares from our boat for safety reasons. I don't like the risk of untrained guests or family attempting to use them. Fine for professional mariners but not leisure users. PLB/EPIRB and battery powered HH devices backup the on board electronics for distress scenarios. Not convinced of Laser/LED devices range, brightness nor being clearly identifiable.

Using explosives for safety seems paradoxical. They don't carry sextants on Boeings anymore either - time to trust electronics for don't board any flights this week.

 

[ari]

I'm interested in LED flare as alternative to fireworks. Apparently more people are injured than rescued from setting off flares and from experience I'm not at all surpised. What can you say about Odeo from experience now? Do you think it would attract attention as well as or better than a flare?

That's a fascinating statistic, is it an actual fact or an Internet 'fact'?

 

[prv]

That's a fascinating statistic, is it an actual fact or an Internet 'fact'?

Seemed doubtful to me as well

Pete