@bnystrom said:
Regardless of what radio you buy, I strongly recommend shoulder mounting it, so you can operate it with one hand. Otherwise, it may be useless to you when you need it the most, such as in rough conditions where you can’t take both hands off of the paddle or if you’re in the water and hanging onto your boat. I have pics and instructions for this at: http://briannystrom.com/?page_id=173
Two thumbs up!
I’ve been using Brian’s method of shoulder-mounting my VHF radio for over ten years now. Initially I used an ICOM M88, but over the last several years I switch to the ICOM M73. The ICOM swivel belt-clip that attaches to one’s PFD shoulder strap remains the same and is available for purchase separately.
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/avpages/icombeltClip.php