Published November 22nd, 2008
Palm-Sized Satellite Tracking Device Ideal for Kayaker, Canoers and Boaters
A tool to take along on kayak, canoe, paddle, boat, hiking, backpacking and other adventure trips that could save your life.
We found this story on line from the St. Petersburg Times (FL) about a kayaker who used the new SPOT satellite messaging device to get himself rescued from a bad situation.
“When sea kayaker Derek Crook set out to circumnavigate Tasmania earlier this year, the Canadian adventurer knew the dangers involved. Midway through his 36-day expedition, a rouge wave flipped his kayak and left him fighting for his life on an offshore reef.
Luckily, Crook was able to grab hold of his kayak and trigger a small, handheld satellite messaging device that transmitted his Global Positioning System coordinates to authorities on the mainland…”
SPOT is not only a great idea for all boaters and paddlers, but also for hikers, backpackers, mountain climbers and anyone who tends to venture off the beaten path. SPOT lives on when cell phones die! The device weighs just 7 ounces and includes the following features:
- Ask for help: Request help from friends and family at your exact location.
- Check in: Let contacts know where you are and that you’re okay.
- Track progress: Send and save your location and allow contacts to track your progress using Google Mapsâ„¢.
- Alert 9-1-1: Dispatch emergency responders to your exact location.
If you’re looking for a holiday gift for your favorite kayaker, you’ll hit a home run with SPOT.
Here’s the whole story from the St. Pete Times, or click here to read it on line:
(reprinted courtesy of the St. Petersburg Times and TampaBay.com)
Satellite tracking device delivers help in an emergency or sends a jab to those schmoes at the office
By Terry Tomalin, Times Outdoors Editor
When sea kayaker Derek Crook set out to circumnavigate Tasmania earlier this year, the Canadian adventurer knew the dangers involved. Midway through his 36-day expedition, a rouge wave flipped his kayak and left him fighting for his life on an offshore reef.
Luckily, Crook was able to grab hold of his kayak and trigger a small, handheld satellite messaging device that transmitted his Global Positioning System coordinates to authorities on the mainland. He was plucked from the water by locals as a helicopter arrived. Suffering from hypothermia, Crook was transported by air to the nearest hospital by paramedics. Without that immediate medical care, Crook is convinced he would have died.
A lifesaver
The National Association for Search and Rescue estimates that more than 50,000 search-and-rescue missions are initiated each year. These missions involve everything from U.S. Coast Guard helicopters searching for overdue boaters to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers in four-wheel drive vehicles scouring state forests for lost hunters. The Satellite Personal Tracker (SPOT) system removes the guesswork by providing GPS coordinates to narrow the location to within 20 feet.
In many cases, authorities are not notified that there is a problem until it is too late. In the winter months, with low temperatures, boaters don’t stand much chance of survival if they float in the water for more than a few hours. In December 2003, four men who went fishing in Tampa Bay died after their boat took on water and they had no way to signal authorities.
Most big offshore boats carry Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs), but these devices are often heavy and expensive, putting them out of reach for many sportsman.
Lightweight and affordable
If technology has advanced so much that a television can be the size of a cell phone, than a satellite messaging device can be made small enough, inexpensive enough and light enough for Joe the Angler. The new SPOT unit retails for just $149.95. And more likely than that latest cell phone, the SPOT can save your life.
Many outdoorsmen are under the mistaken impression that a cell phone can work as an emergency backup system. But anybody who spends any time paddling or hiking the wildest regions of this state will tell you that cell phones don’t work in the wilderness.
The SPOT has four simple functions. First, you can hit Alert 9-1-1, which dispatches emergency responders to your location. Second, you can check in with prearranged contacts and let them know where you are and that you are all right. Third, you can request help from family or friends at your exact location (this will come in handy next time I lock the keys in the truck on a kayaking trip.) And lastly, SPOT will save and send your location out so friends can actually track your progress using Google Maps.
The fine print
But piece of mind comes with a price. The SPOT has an annual subscription plan (similar to that of your cell phone or Blackberry) to keep you wired.
Check out more useful kayak, canoe and paddle gifts by clicking here to go to our Great Gifts for Paddlers Page.
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