"With many EPIRBs now reaching their expiry dates, it might be time to pull it out of whatever compartment of your boat that you stuffed it in 5 years ago, and give it the once over."

Sinking? Nobody is coming to help. That might be one of your final thoughts if you don't check your EPIRB before the summer season! With many EPIRBs now reaching their expiry dates, it might be time to pull it out of whatever compartment of your boat that you stuffed it in 5 years ago, and give it the once over. Like smoke alarms and other life saving devices, EPIRBs run off batteries, which slowly deteriorate over time when not being used. Depending on the manufacturer, batteries can last as little at 5 years. While you're in there checking our your EPIRB, make sure it's one of the newer versions, working in the 406 MHz frequency band. Older types work on 121.5 Mhz and were required to be replaced in 2010. The only people listening out on that frequency are aircraft, and they might not be flying around out where you're fishing! If you've recently purchased your boat, and it came with an EPIRB, log into the Australian Maritime Safety Authority website and register the beacon to you. Its previous owner may not have, and in the event of an emergency, the rescue services will be calling them, not you! Remember, only use an EPIRB when there is a threat of grave and imminent danger. In the event of an emergency, try to communicate with other water users by radios, phones and other signalling devices before using an EPIRB.