# Flares



## Pole Setter (Aug 14, 2009)

Just thought I would pass it on West Marine has a sale today only on this flare.


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## Whopper 24 (Sep 7, 2017)

Pole Setter said:


> Just thought I would pass it on West Marine has a sale today only on this flare.
> 
> View attachment 301714


Does that style replace the aerial flares required for u.s.c.g. inspection? Good price


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## Pole Setter (Aug 14, 2009)

From my understanding it replaces the hand held flares.


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## captnick (Jan 6, 2008)

That's a big ten four.This device will be the tool of the future and you will never have to replace it.


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## Rifleman99 (Sep 21, 2004)

Thanks for sharing, I was due to replace mine this year anyways so hopefully it will be these last a few cycles of having to replace the handheld flares


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## iFishy (Mar 31, 2014)

Pole Setter said:


> Just thought I would pass it on West Marine has a sale today only on this flare.
> 
> View attachment 301714


I'm not sure about those as primary, backup - yea, but trusting your life in a bad situation to batteries?? Not sure about that.


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## Pole Setter (Aug 14, 2009)

iFishy said:


> I'm not sure about those as primary, backup - yea, but trusting your life in a bad situation to batteries?? Not sure about that.


It’s USCG approved so I’m sure if it wasn’t a good choice they wouldn’t approve it. 


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## iFishy (Mar 31, 2014)

Pole Setter said:


> It’s USCG approved so I’m sure if it wasn’t a good choice they wouldn’t approve it.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


Thats cool, I'll stick to flares and a compass.

Does the Canadian CG approve as well?


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## Bruce William (Feb 11, 2004)

iFishy said:


> Thats cool, I'll stick to flares and a compass.
> 
> Does the Canadian CG approve as well?


Im sure they don't. And you need 6 flares for your 2075 (not a 4 pack like the us) in Canadian water.


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## iFishy (Mar 31, 2014)

Bruce William said:


> Im sure they don't. *And you need 6 flares for your 2075* (not a 4 pack like the us) in Canadian water.


Yea, I picked that up in one of the other threads - didn't even realize - that being said, I carry both hand held and aerial type flares. I had to triple check on those with Canadian customs - thats not a mistake I want to be caught with


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## HookedUp (Dec 31, 2010)

Just make sure you don't have a "flare gun" in Canada. Aerial flares are okay as long as they're the hand shot ones not out of a gun. And as for trusting your life with batteries,what about your bilge pumps? Their battery operated.


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## scubajay (Jun 9, 2003)

The CG regulations have nothing to do with handheld, aerial or non-aerial. The regulation refers to daytime and nighttime devices. The Weems and Plath light (the OP's light) only meets the nighttime requirement. You still need to have a daytime signal, which came with my light when I purchased it last year (the big orange banner with black circle and square). I contacted the company when I bought mine to ask about Canadian acceptance. I don't know if it has changed, but at that time they said they were working with the Canadian CG, but it had not yet been approved.

It made great sense to me, spend $100 once instead of buying new flares for $40 every three years and then having to figure out how to dispose of the expired ones. The deal the OP points out is a good one.


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## scubajay (Jun 9, 2003)

HookedUp said:


> Just make sure you don't have a "flare gun" in Canada.


Flare guns are not excluded from Canada. A flare gun designed to only be able to shoot flares, at less than 500fps, is _not_ considered a firearm, and therefore is perfectly legal anywhere in the country.

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/fs-fd/visit-visite-eng.htm


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## HookedUp (Dec 31, 2010)

When did they change that law? Many years ago I got to go to court over it and they were illegal, I still have the all the paperwork from the fines I had to pay. That was 10+ years ago.


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## scubajay (Jun 9, 2003)

HookedUp said:


> When did they change that law? Many years ago I got to go to court over it and they were illegal, I still have the all the paperwork from the fines I had to pay. That was 10+ years ago.


The Canadian Firearms Act was established in 1995. Below is the excerpt from that act:

Devices designed exclusively for signalling purposes (e.g., flare guns), and intended to be used solely for that purpose, are exempt from the requirements


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## HookedUp (Dec 31, 2010)

Good to know. If I remember correctly it was about a $1200 mistake back when.


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## iFishy (Mar 31, 2014)

W


HookedUp said:


> Just make sure you don't have a "flare gun" in Canada. Aerial flares are okay as long as they're the hand shot ones not out of a gun. And as for trusting your life with batteries,what about your bilge pumps? Their battery operated.


What ScubaJay said - I think it was recently revised...

I have a bailing device as a backup to the bilge and I carry a jump box as well - I could McGiver something in a pinch (yea, I know battery, but...) as well as hook up trolling batteries in even more a severe pinch. I should buy an extra Bilge pump just to have on hand though.


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## HookedUp (Dec 31, 2010)

I'm not saying to keep extra of everything. But to a point you can only do so much. There's no right or wrong answers to what is better. Everything has a pro and con. As for the LED flare light I got one last year and just orders 3 more. I'll still keep the outdated flares on board but I won't be replacing them every 3 years.


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## scubajay (Jun 9, 2003)

HookedUp said:


> As for the LED flare light I got one last year. I'll still keep the outdated flares on board but I won't be replacing them every 3 years.


Exactly the same way I am operating.


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## fsamie1 (Mar 8, 2008)

Thanks, just bought one to use on 3 boats, cheap tired of carrying old ones and hoping playing dumb would work if I get caught.


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## Gradyfish (Jan 30, 2015)

Honest your Honor, it’s in case my boat breaks down!


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## marty59 (Jul 17, 2007)

Just ordered one...free shipping!

Marty


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## scooter_trasher (Sep 19, 2005)

HookedUp said:


> Good to know. If I remember correctly it was about a $1200 mistake back when.


According to my yachter friends, when I voiced a very loud objection on being transported through the livingstone channel (while Packing) , the Detroit River is an International water way and as long as we weren't anchored, docked, or zig zaging through Canadian water as in fishing and were proceeding through , I was protected by International Maritime Law, but I avoid Canada like the plague , as they have absolutely nothing worth giving up my bill of rights for. Around 25 years ago a friend was roughed up by bouncers for being buzzed and stupid enough to touch a dancer's back during a lap dance,when he was 19, a three inch pen knife got him charged with carrying a concealed weapon, bond was $5000 and he's never been back.


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## KEITH207 (Feb 17, 2005)

Pole Setter said:


> Just thought I would pass it on West Marine has a sale today only on this flare.
> 
> View attachment 301714


If you plan to carry one of these, you better also carry backup batteries. I personally prefer plenty of flairs because lightbulbs get broken in boat compartments, batteries leak, plastic gets crushed. Flares are fool proof. Murphy’s law comes into play at the worst time.


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## scubajay (Jun 9, 2003)

KEITH207 said:


> Flares are fool proof.


Nothing is fool proof. I present that the electronic flare mitigates impacts with regard to capability, operation, and potential injury more so than the pyrotechnic flare.

The electronic flare:
Never expires
Eliminates hazardous disposal challenges
Last for 60 hours continuous operation
Floats
Waterproof
No toxic chemical compounds or burning waste
Safe, no open flame, no fire hazard
Can be tested for proper operation

Pyrotechnic flare:
Expires every three years
Requires controlled disposal
Burns for 3-4 seconds
Not buoyant
Not waterproof
Toxic residuals
Fire hazard
No way to test without activation

Bottom line; When calculating the Probabilities of both proper operation and potential hazard/injury, the non-pyrotechnic flare presents itself as the better choice.


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## Double d's (Apr 23, 2010)

View attachment 301714
[/QUOTE]


Pole Setter said:


> Just thought I would pass it on West Marine has a sale today only on this flare.
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 301714


thanks for the share. Got one on the way.


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## scooter_trasher (Sep 19, 2005)

x2


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## MedicMinnow (Mar 10, 2018)

scubajay said:


> having to figure out how to dispose of the expired ones


Its just a giant sparkler, have fun on the next 4th of July!  (I'm kidding of course).



KEITH207 said:


> Flares are fool proof.


I dunno, flares are definitely not fool proof. As someone who has used more than a few in my line of work I know I've screwed up a couple times with them.

Most have never even lit a flare and often catch their boats or themselves on fire or get burned. Not to mention that if just a tiny bit of that thermite in the flare hits an aluminum hull its going to melt right through and that crap drips off like candle wax. Add to that they aren't crush-proof, I've crushed plenty. They are not really waterproof unless you get it started quickly and its dry to begin with. Its why they have an expiration date, they soak up water and become useless.

Its about time the CG approved an LED flare. That said, I would add testing flares to my list of checks every time out if I switched to these.


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## MedicMinnow (Mar 10, 2018)

scubajay said:


> No toxic chemical compounds


Not entirely true, the batteries are mostly made of toxic chemical compounds, but I get your point that they are not emitted with operation. However, if one is lost, then who knows, might find its way via murphys law to get into the environment.


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## Gradyfish (Jan 30, 2015)

FYI,
I just got this email below and spoke with the Orion distributor in Canada, they confirmed that their flare gun is now legal in Canada, but our US flares are not Canadian coast guard compliant. Therefore if they are your main source of onboard flares you can be ticketed for improper safety equipment. 


Thank you for your email. The US Coast Guard requirements are different than Canadian. If your flare kit was purchased in the US, it would NOT be considered Canadian Coast Guard compliant. The USCG only requires a single star, whereas the Canadian Coast Guard requires dual or "twin" stars.


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## iFishy (Mar 31, 2014)

Gradyfish said:


> FYI,
> I just got this email below and spoke with the Orion distributor in Canada, they confirmed that their flare gun is now legal in Canada, but our US flares are not Canadian coast guard compliant. Therefore if they are your main source of onboard flares you can be ticketed for improper safety equipment.
> 
> 
> Thank you for your email. The US Coast Guard requirements are different than Canadian. If your flare kit was purchased in the US, it would NOT be considered Canadian Coast Guard compliant. The USCG only requires a single star, whereas the Canadian Coast Guard requires dual or "twin" stars.


Thanks Grady, now I need to find some Canuck approved flares... Why don't we just annex our northern provinces and be done with it


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## Sharkbait11 (Apr 7, 2017)

When I got checked on the US side last year because Im Canadian they honored the Canadian regulations, the Sheriff that checked me said on border waters like Detroit river they will honor the other countries safety standard but not sure if they have to...The Canadian side is also supposed to honor the US regulations...But being compliant in all waters isnt a bad idea anyways, multiple layers of redundancy is best.


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## Bruce William (Feb 11, 2004)

Got this from the Orion rep in Canada on my question whether my Orion Locate flares (6 of them to meet the Candadian regulation for Sail and Power Boats over 19’8” - 29’6”) bought in the US were compliant with Canadian regs for Type C flares for my Lund. 

Good morning,
Hand held flare in USA have an expiry date of 42 months printed on product.
In Canada expiry date is not printed on product and it is 48 months after
manufacturing date printed on product.
Product wise they are the same, it's only expiry date that change.
Hope it answers your question.
Regards,


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## Pole Setter (Aug 14, 2009)

I was at Taylor West Marine last week and they had these on sale for $64.99 if anyone is looking. They are not advertised in-store special. 










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