Necessary Equipment

When we were at Block Island we were talking about what we would do in an emergency situation, such as getting your leg/ankle caught in between two rocks, falling down and getting seriously injured or worst case scenario of being swept out to sea. Something were you would need someones help or at the very least need to get their attention.

I think a lot people have the mentality that it won’t happen to me or I always fish with someone and they’ll be able to hear or see me.

We spend thousands of dollars on gear, plugs, gas for trips, etc and not too many people consider safety.

Ever try and have a conversation while surf fishing?? It’s a lot of yelling “what” back and forth.

I love having a neck light for changing plugs or spotting the rock I’m trying to get to. I also use to carry a whistle with me but it was always in my bag, what happens if I had to ditch the bag, or couldn’t get to it for some reason?

So I started incorporating the two of them. Its your standard rescue whistle which can be obtained from a dive shop or sporting good store, make sure you get a “ball less” model so the salt doesn’t make the ball stick. The ones I picked up are 140 decibels and all plastic. I tried it out one day, it will hurt your ears and can be heard over a long distance.

I secured to the Princeton Tec neck light with two small zip ties, then positioned the surgical tubing and used electric tape over the two of them. Making sure not to cover the holes in the whistle or it won’t work. I like having the two together cause it’s one less thing I have to wear and stops the whistle from swinging around on a regular rope.

The whistle also allows you to hold the flash light in your mouth and free up your hands for taking pics, plug changes, etc.

I have this with me every time I go out and carry two of them in my truck in case the batteries die or are getting dim and I forget to change them. It’s very convenient to have them both right there.

I would suggest this set up to anyone who fishes from the beach, surf, even a boat, great to have just in case, hopefully you’ll never need it but its there, gives me piece of mind when I’m out alone.

In addition to neck lite I hang a whistle
from rot-proof cord around neck and
keep it on outside of parka. I have
had it for years and never used it.
But damn it is good to know I have it
with me. P.S. Did get my boot caught
between two rock in water. Took a bit
of tugging and pulling but got it free. For
a brief moment I thought I was not going
to free it.

acorn top works pissah

acorn top works pissah

They are hard to find in the water. I would also feel they are not up to the task of surviving the water, or using one handed ;)

i use the same whistle, four bucks a piece. on a stainless key ring tied to a hockey skate lace around my neck. we even have a little code worked out to use the whistles to communicate in non emergency situations

First aid kit?

??????????

we were also discussing carrying some sort of dry bag with us with some emergency esstentials like a pair of manleys in case of a hook in the hand, first aid kit, extra flash kit, whistle, flare, cell phone in a dry bag to make that important call, etc.

if you plan for the worse you'll be prepared and hopefully never need to use any of the items but you have them in case.

I have been thinking of bringing my L.L. Bean backpack with me all the time now. Reasoning is twofold, what I don't use in space for safety stuff I could always fill with more wood. Might balance better on the bike with some of my stuff in the backpack.

For me.....Planning for these eventuality's takes away from the enjoyment of fishing such historical fishing' spots.......

"if you fail to plan you plan to fail"

I just purchased a waterproof head lamp made by Black Diamond. Not sure how long it will last but so far its still working.

I always have a safety whistle around my neck every time I fish or hunt. You never know and really makes a difference vs yelling which is drowned out very easily. Its light and simple but could really make a difference if you need it.

They are hard to find in the water. I would also feel they are not up to the task of surviving the water, or using one handed ;)


good point on two hands needed there Boss
Man he's always thinkin....:)

Good stuff.

I had a guy take a dive off the bow of the boat once. We were drifting a shallow reef in strong current and bumped over a rock. The force pitched him off the boat.

It was very dark and the spot light on the bow was useless because by the time I could react he was behind the boat. Luckily, he was wearing a life jacket so it's wasn't a crisis. The life jacket had a small strip of reflective tape that clearly located him with a quick sweep of a medium sized mag light.

This thread is about safety in the surf but one could easily be pushed off of a rock and find themself drifting into a place like woods hole. A small strip of that tape on your hat could make all the difference in the world.

One of my best investments was a self inflating mustang life vest.With some of the stupid things that I've done by my-self well it was apound of prevention.That and a waterproof cell phone that is all but indestructable.Nobody is gonna hear a whistle from some of the places that I fish. Especially when the wind is howling.I replace tha CO2 cartridges every yr no matter what. Tight lines Ron

All good info. In 1997 I capsized while duck hunting. Lost two guns and alot of other gear, and almost my LIFE! Since then I do things different. I learned a lot that cold November morning. Guns sink. Decoys don't. EFF the boat. And waders are NOT worth your life....even if they were $200+.

Whistle is more important than a duck call now.
A flashlight ATTACHED to my person is a must!! or I don't get in the boat.
Every piece of gear in the boat is either teathered to a decoy bag or has some sort of floatation device tied to it.
Always let someone know where you arre going to be.
And SAVE YOURSELF!! Risking your life to try and save a life that might not be savable is just going to end BAD. Boats, guns, rods, and gear can all be replaced.

I had a very bad experience, spent some time in the hospital and almost lost some toes to frostbite. Every time I put socks on I'm reminded of that day. All because it will never happen to me.

Chris I'm glad you put this up, its a great thread. Theres so much we can do to protect ourselves and be safe.

Spud

On EVERY lifejacket onboard: ACR C Strobe Light (http://www.landfallnavigation.com/sa3959.html)

And reflective strips.

As far as letting someone know where I am, I always text my gf and let her know where I am, a lot of times plans change and we end up at another spot or move from one spot to the next.

I keep her in the loop, even if shes sleeping and always let her know when I'm headed home.

That way if anything was to happen there would be some time line of where I was.
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Don't disagree with anything but what about a cheap compass on your light rope around your neck???
Try coming off Monomy flats or CapeCod bay in the fog. It's not walking the extra distance,,It's just that the tide could change and come in on you while your walking the wrong way.

Another thought. We lost a fellow fisherman last year in Cape Cod bay and I For one think it might be a good time to think about some kind of floatation device either built into the waders or worn separately while shore fishing.
I for one have come close to --the end-- a few times as well as a few of you and want to take a moment hopefully to save a life

A compass is a great idea, I picked up a 4 dollar one that fits over a watch band from the dive shop.

I have it mounted on one side of my timex ironman watch and on the other I have a temperature gauge.

I like knowing the real temp of the water inside of NOAA says it is.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Another thought. We lost a fellow fisherman last year in Cape Cod bay and I For one think it might be a good time to think about some kind of floatation device either built into the waders or worn separately while shore fishing.
I for one have come close to --the end-- a few times as well as a few of you and want to take a moment hopefully to save a life

Good point Old Goat. A good friend of mine always says "Once you enter the water you're halfway to drowning" as you've added the necessary ingredient - water. I'm sure when you start swimming/fishing in a wetsuit the risk increases substantially. I also use a wetsuit from time to time but never push the envelope by actually swimming in it.

It's the things that you don't anticipate happening that will kill you. That's why they call them accidents. I know of a young caster in great shape physically that was swimming to a perch - while swimming the braid came off his reel and tangled his feet and arms restricting his ability to tread water or cut himself free. Luckily for him he had a buddy nearby to assist him.

DZ