Hello,
I have a VHF radio that is a bit to bulky to fit on my life vest, I know it is the proper place for it but I believe I need to find it a new place. What are some ways I could mount it to my kayak? I currently have no storage pockets or tie downs inside my cockpit. Would it be better to have on dec or inside? thanks!
A VHF radio stored inside a kayak is almost useless. If you ended up in the water you wouldn’t want to be opening up a hatch to retrieve a radio and I wouldn’t want to have to remove a spry skirt on open water. If i had to have it on my boat I would bungee and tether it to my foredeck to keep it handy.
Of course if you lose your boat you have also lost your only means of communication as well. I have read of a number of cases where this has happened. I firmly believe in having my radio on my person. As a friend of mine who is a very skilled paddler says, “If you don’t have it on you, you don’t have it”.
The newer VHF radios are very compact, and for as little as they now cost, if the main concern is bulk I would get a new radio. I do a fair amount of solo paddling on open water and I rank a VHF radio right up there with a PFD and spray skirt.
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Buy a smaller radio (preferable) or a radio harness that you can wear over your life vest. Ski Patrollers commonly wear the radio harness.
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If you don’t have it on you, you don’t have it. The Kokatat Tactic Pack is where I carry mine. It attaches to the back of your PFD.
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Like you, I have an older brick for a VHF. Mine fits in a large drop down compartment of the pull over style Astral pfd or barely into a PFD pocket of an older NRS pfd. Alternately, if you can attach a strong lanyard to your VHF, you can slip the VHF between your body and PFD - however I would not like that lanyard weight pulling on my neck even when seated.
Sounds like I agree with the others about a new VHF (or a new PFD which can hold your current VHF). I definitely agree with the others that you need to be wearing the VHF should you swim.
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Figure out where you can get to it when shit goes wrong and you and your boat are going your separate ways.
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Just bought a Standard Horizons 300 HX smaller than my 851 & 850 series. I always carry two VHF when alone and my cell in a pouch. If my partner comes she gets a VHF and her cell. She not out after Oct to visit of for her. Cell pouch tucks in my PFD and has a lanyard also. I paid 105 on Amazon. It’s a lot smaller and easier. I keep bigger radio on my deck bungees. 300 hx on a caribiner on my PFD strap. Bungee it to off also so I can’t lose it.
I’ve I’ve actually put my VHF between my body and my PFD and that’s worked out just fine.
I have the same HX 300 PaddleDog52 has. Mine fits in my NRS PFD radio pocket. Its the reason I bought that radio as I new it fit. PLUS its tethered. Always tether the radio too as the time you might actually need it it will be rough out there. I had mine out and a 4 foot wave hit me and over I went let go of radio rolled up grabbed tethered radio. I could have used crux or arm roll but since radio was tethered I let go of it.
Not wearing it cost three people their lives around here. The guide had it in his sea kayak. Useless. Why the guide had no clue seems inexcusable.
Get a new radio. Holiday sales are coming.
But if you want to carry the older one as a backup, it shouldn’t be any less accessible than clipped to/under the rigging on top of the boat. Might need to put it in a lightweight dry bag is all. (so it floats if it comes off.)