Flares

Hi,

I need to buy flares, but I'm not sure what I should be looking for.

I've seen a pack of 8 pencil flares in an orange flip top container going for about R650 at Marine World in Milnerton. But this strikes me as being a little fiddly while a SHH... HARK is steadily munching away at my surfski.

What's available? Any suggestions?

Louis

Some guys prefer smoke flares. I've used pencil flares in anger on a windy day in Hout Bay (the story is in the Rob's Tales section somewhere) and they are effective.

Smoke flares make a big cloud of red smoke, but they're much bigger and you generally can only carry one. You get six chances with pencil flares!

But flares are a bit dodgy without another means of communication - it's one thing to attract attention when you pop the flares but it will usually take some time for the rescuers to get to you and it's really nice to be able to talk them in to your location - a cell phone or ideally a VHF is great to have.