Marine Radios Review

In New Zealand, and very likely other places in the world, most of the calls for help have been from people on cell phones when in near coastal waters. This situation very soon will likely be a thing of the past. Laws are being passed that will make it mandatory to have a VHF Radio on board to be legal. The logic behind this is purely from a safety perspective. If a person calls someone on a cell phone, he reaches only 1 person. But, if a person broadcasts a distress call over a VHF radio, his call will likely be heard by several people and very possibly a person very close to his boat will be able to assist. What if you were sinking and you whipped out your cell phone to make a call and found the line busy that you had to reach?? Sobering thought. Safety should always be at the top of your list when outfitting your boat. A VHF Radio (either Hand Held VHF Radio, or Fixed Mount VHF Radio) should always be a critical piece of equipment to have on board as a basic need.