Thanks Simon.. I'll check it out.

DJ

Well the Life Buoy invention tonight turned out to be pretty lame.....
Not even worth posting a link....
To save anyone looking, here it is, but it's not worth viewing....
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/newinventors/txt/s2874634.htm
Don't say you weren't warned !!
(Actually, it's OK, but it is not relevant to Down Wind Paddles, and it is heavily reliant on the life buoy and the person, 1 - finding each other, and 2 - staying together.... it is a pier based, or man overboard based system)...

I bought a Fast Find 211 PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) recently, which is pretty good. It is small, light and waterproof. It has a built in GPS receiver

It transmits on both the old 121.5Mhz frequency and also the new 406Mhz one.

Here is a link to finding out more about these www.oroliamaritime.com/



There are also these SPOT devices that I have heard about, but don't know much about them. These devices are cheaper to buy but require an annual subscription. They do look pretty good, however, and have some really nice features on them that a traditional EPIRB does not have.

Here is a link to finding out more about these
au.findmespot.com/en/

I had the same question.... cost ??

I'll ring 4 Winds Marine shortly. There are 4 models also.

Where to buy;
www.oroliamaritime.com/

I think you need to expect to pay $300-$600 for a PLB or EPIRB depending on brand, model, function, features, etc.

But you get a raft of uses.... carry it for Down Wind action, dirt bike riding, trekking, bush walking, skiing, snowboarding, sailing, fishing.....

try whitworths stores or online, with 500 bucks you can get a real good one down to <10m accuracy, buy a cheaper one and less than <100m,