Choices of Strobe Units for Kayaking!

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by Ralph Díaz

A strobe light is certainly a good investment in safety equipment for use on either your person, kayak or boat. Let us say you have a mishap and wind up floating around in your PFD in the dark. A strobe could help you get spotted.

There are two grades of strobes, cheap or expensive. The inexpensive variety costs about $10-20; one leading manufacturer is ACR. It is round in shape, operates on an ordinary "D" cell battery and pins to your vest. This type doesn't always work well but is better than nothing.

Your better bet might be what is termed the military type. It is flat like a pack of cigarettes and uses a special battery. Cost of this strobe is around $50-60 and a replacement battery around $10. ACR's version is called the Firefly. This type strobe has a long shelf life and will work and keep working for many hours.