Personal Locating Beacon

G'day Breezers; Just inquiring what "Personal Locating Beacon" are you guys using?
I've been looking at this one from BCF - to use for the Maui2Molokai Race
also for when I'm all along on Maliko as I'm a "Beginner KOOK" Just Learning Downwind Foiling. My Maui friends are Doing Maliko in under 40 minutes - I could do a Maliko Run on my Unlimited 18ft SUP in 58/59 minutes But That Sport Is DEAD Now.
Jeremy Riggs Pop Up Clinic. So looking forward to doing Jeremy Riggs Pop Up Clinic, this June/July on my new Custom 9ft Barracuda, with the AXIS 1401 Wing

This is Good Mate Step Nelson on his Custom 9ft Barracuda so looking forward to hanging out with this Legend.

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CH3MTR4IL5 said..
Anaconda have a GME Beacon on sale for a little bit cheaper than the BCF ones. GME, accusat, ACR are all fine.

Thanks CH3MTR4IL5; I was on Maui July 2016 when Connor Baxter got attacked by a 10ft Tiger Shark just of Mamma's Fish House while Downwind Foiling Maliko. Me and my Maui friends where all Downwinding Kihei on our 18ft SIC SUP Boards at the time "Kihei was All Time that day"

Here's a funny story 6 months after Connor Got attacked by that 10ft Tiger Shark I spent the 2nd half of the Hawaiian Winter 2017 surfing Honolua Bay. Honolua Bay is like Angourie on steroids "I love the Place" this one day I was surfing Ho?okipa it was like 6/8ft with 10ft sets if you've ever surfed Duranbah Beach at 3ft well that Ho'okipa at 10ft on steroids, it's frightening when you get caught inside by a 10fter at Ho'okipa hold on to your board. Anyway I got this 8/10ft bomb rode it all the way to the inside when the wave closed out I bailed, then I felt my leg-rope snap SO here I am swimming out in the Maliko channel after my 8'2" surfboard that is stuck in a rip heading for the reef out front of Mamma's Fish House. Well I was f@#en S@#ting myself all I could think off was Connor Baxter getting attacked by that 10ft Tiger Shark "The Lifeguards would have been laughing there heads off watching me swim after my surfboard." I just got to my surfboard in time about 100 metres before those big 10ft sets hit the reef "scary."

This one time I was Surfing Honolua Bay 6/8ft with Dave Kalama. I look to the Horizon there's this bloke swimming way out like 300 metres away Dave Kalama looks at me and says if the bloke gets into trouble I'm not going to save hime ( Some people lucky ignorance is bliss ) I would not be swimming out there.

This is why a PersonalLocation Beacon is best when Foiling a Foil is like a "Big Lure" But if anything does go down you're pretty much dead already.

My surfboards I took to Maui in 2017



Connor Baxter Video link: www.hawaiinewsnow.com/clip/12649765/connor-baxter-fights-tiger-shark

Same here. My wife is usually willing to shuttle me to Maliko and grab a coffee on her way to the harbor where I finish. My phone is an android. I use the maps feature and choose location sharIng. She can see my progress on her iPhone. However, if I were doing a channel crossing I would use a PLB. They don't call it the channel of bones for nothing.

Live tracking from a phone is cheapest and easiest, but possibly the most unreliable. The advantage is people can see where you are and how you're going by just looking at the track points. If you suddenly stop and stay stopped for a long time it's pretty obvious to an experienced observer that you might be in trouble.

Problem with phones is battery life is crap and you're reliant on cell reception. Either of those drop out and you're on your own. Your watchers will have the track from your last known point and that is helpful.

Satellite live trackers like SPOT and Garmin InReach are much better, but much more expensive. They're super robust, long battery life, use satellites, and you can send and receive messages. The monthly subscriptions can be a tad expensive. The Garmin subscriptions can be kept ticking along at low cost and you enable the functions on a monthly basis. I highly recommend the Garmin InReach Mini.

PLB are the cheapest and most robust, but they only do one thing. They call for help when you press the button. You can can't be live
tracked, and more importantly, if you can't press the button you're ****ed.

Use Apple Watch as never out of network range.

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hilly said..
Use Apple Watch as never out of network range.

What's the battery life on it like ? and can people onshore track you with it.

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This a Good Mate Randy a Maui Legend it was late 2016 or early 2017 can't remember. Anyway he borrowed a 17'4" Bullet of Good Mate Jeremy Riggs as Randy's 17'4" Red Bullet was at the SIC factory getting fixed. This day was like 40 knots Maliko was Nuking/ Pumping for a Maliko Downwind Run So Randy's fired up BUT puts and old leg-rope on the board! then paddles out Maliko Gulch, Randy's getting some All Time Bumps Surfing and Gliding. This one bump randy is standing so fare back on the Bullet in Surf Stance he falls off BUT then feels the leg-rope Snape - It don't matter how fast you can swim even an Olympic swimmer can't swim that fast to retrieve the board, once a 40 knot wind on Maliko has got your board. So now Randy is all along floating out in the middle of Makliko about 2 miles out from Baldwin Beach with no-one else around Randy is now s@#ting himself as Maliko is a caf? for Tiger Sharks. Randy now takes of his Camelback Bum Bag tips 1/2 the water out then blows air into the drink tub so the bum bag can be used as a flotation device. After about 90 minutes the Maliko current is taking Randy further away out to Sea so Ranmdy start to swim towards Baldwin Beach another hour goes by AND LUCKY for Randy an OC1 paddler was going Downwind and spot a Swimmer "in the middle of f@#en no were" Phones the Lifeguard at Ho'okipa The Lifeguards launch the Jet-ski, come rescue Randy. THE MOREL TO THE STORY = Happy that everything turned out ok. So what did you learn RANDY Several things. Check your equipment every time, especially your leash! Carry a whistle, wear very bright clothing, especially your top and a hat Carry a phone or 2 way radio also contact coast guard on channel 16. Your hydration back pack will float you once you blow air into it, 2 litre's or bigger is more efficient. We can also talk about staying together on the wild days. Also as an extra The lifeguard drilled me about it. When paddling in the ocean or in remote areas, consider using a Personal Locator Beacon. PLB models are small enough now to easily clip on to your life jacket or stow in its pocket. When activated, the PLB sends an SOS signal out via satellite that can greatly aid rescuers in finding you

Me and Randy 2015


Jeremy Riggs 17'4'' Sup broken in 3 pieces, they found the board 3 days later getting a grinding at Waiheu Golf Course Beach


Randy now from 2019 - 100% Maui Maliko Downwind Foiler


Last year I mainly hung on Oahu as I was doing Prone Paddleboard Molokai2Oahu = Prone Paddleboarding is still very big on Oahu, SUP maybe dead on Maui BUT Prone Paddleboard is alive and well on Oahu. Anyway I was doing the Hawaii Kai run everyday it's not as good as Maliko. Hawaii Kai it's poor mans Maliko Run ( But I did do a Personal Best ever on a 12ft Prone Paddleboard, thank you Garmin Watch. ) this one day a few of us did the Hawaii Kai Run a few SUP Foilers went in front of us and this made the Hawaiian NEWS that evening.

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So what happened to Connor Baxter And Randy:- www.hawaiinewsnow.com/clip/12649765/connor-baxter-fights-tiger-shark
I think I'll be carrying a PLB "Personal Locating Beacon"

For anyone who gets the ACR plb make sure to put it in a drybag when you carry it foiling. I'm on my third replaced under warranty as it isn't waterproof enough. the best solution with the one i have now has been using those vacuum seal cooking bags to make a dry pouch and have it sealed. Then cut a little notch on the edge of the bag so you can tear it open when needed. Put this whole thing in another drybag and you have double protection.

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wingding said..
Just ordered an InReach Mini 2 for M2O.

G'day wingding I have a look at it, it look good and I'm a Big Fan of Garmin Products still sitting on the fence about the ACR resQLink 400 $399

See ya on Maliko; I'll be riding a Orange & Yellow Custom 9ft Barracuda V2 = "me Beginner KOOK"

if your a surfer like me bring a Surfboard just incase MAALAEA starts breaking it's like KIRRA on Steroids. "Yes Please Mr Wizard"

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Downwinder said..

Had a really good look at the ACR ResQLink 400 PLB. $400 they are great BUT; The ACR ResQLink View 425 Personal Locator Beacon is The All Time Best $480 "expensive" - But, with Digital Display is were it's at.

Did so much research

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ResQLink 400 PLB
(+) No subscription required(-) Large(-) Limited non emergency FunctionalityGarmin InReach Mini(+) Lighter (100 grams, vs 145 grams)(+) Slightly more compact (4" x 2" x 1" vs. 4.5" x 2" x 1.5")(+) Has non emergency functionality (pre-made messages, etc)(-) Requires a subscription