Flares - and where to find them
The safety rules for the Cape Point Challenge state that "all competitors shall carry flares or a cell phone in a waterproof pouch..." SAMSA also mandates that all small craft should carry them.
But where can you buy them and do they really work?
Pencil Flares like the ones pictured here are one option (a smoke flare is another). Where can you find them?
Brian's Kayaks (Cape Town) have both pencil and smoke flares- Paddlers.co.za (Simonstown, Cape Town) (021 786 2626)
- The Paddling Center carry a full range of smoke and pencil flares (Fish Hoek) (021 782 4311)
- Coastal Kayaks (Cape Town)
- Johan Loot's PaddleYak Sea Kayak Store (Cape Town)
- Life Saving Equipment (Durban) (031 468 1261)
Do pencil flares work? Yep, I can personally vouch for their efficacy (see "Pencil Flares DO Work" in Rob's Tales). (But don't try bringing them to the race on the plane. Airlines take a Dim View of passengers carrying explosives in their luggage.)