how wet does my EPIRB need to be to activate

[tudorsailor]

Have just put my EPIRB on the stern rail It is one with a Hamar release. It does cross my mind that both the EPIRB itself and the hamar release are water activated. I wonder how much water does it take to become activated? The EPIRB is in a plastic housing so most rain and spray will run off, but what happens with a big following sea?

TS

 

[prv]

If it is a Hammar release, it needs to be six inches or so under water before it will activate. Just getting wet won't do it.

Pete

 

[westernman]

If it is a Hammar release, it needs to be six inches or so under water before it will activate. Just getting wet won't do it.

Pete

Its pressure activated, and needs to be a good few feet under before going off.

However, I would not be surprised if it getting hit by the full force of a wave would be enough to trigger it - or is there more to these things than meets the eye????

 

[prv]

Its pressure activated, and needs to be a good few feet under before going off.

I've watched someone trying out Hammar inflators on lifejackets. They didn't go off when floating horizontally, but when he popped up vertically (pushing the bottom of the jacket, where the inflator is, a few inches underwater) the jacket would go off.

I suppose EPIRB releases could be set to a higher pressure.

However, I would not be surprised if it getting hit by the full force of a wave would be enough to trigger it - or is there more to these things than meets the eye????

Certainly a wave is going to have a fair bit of dynamic pressure to it. I believe (not certain) that Hammars have a convoluted entrance to try to mitigate the effect, but I doubt it's fully effective.

Pete

 

[SAMYL]

I heard an RNLI man say once that they had never been able to find an epirb yet, excepty for one in somebody's wardrobe!!!!

Makes you wonder...................

 

[Simondjuk]

Very.

The hydrostatic release needs to be submerged to activate.

By way of an example since they're more common than hydrostatically released EPIRBS, think of all the liferafts you've seen secured into their cradles by such devices, how often you've seen them swept by waves and whether or not you've ever seen one trip.