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The Icom M-88 |
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Call me a contradiction in style, but here I am sitting in my wood-fired office on our alternatively powered spread with no less than four modes of telecommunication at hand: telephone, computer, walkie-talkie and VHF radio. My wife Pamela is still shaking her head. After raising two kids without a telephone for ten years, now we use a walkie-talkie as a poor man's intercom between my office and the house, the VHF radio to get the daily weather forecast, and the rest, of course, for everyday communication.
That said, let's take a minute and focus on the hand-held VHF radio as it applies to kayaking. When my friends and I paddle coastal British Columbia, our usual haunt, we rely heavily on a radio. Not only does it bring in the valuable, if mercurial, weather data (we need all the prescience we can manage in a small boat on the Pacific Northwest Coast), but it provides a number of other different communication possibilities as well, including: emergency communication capability for medical consultation, a link with our point of contact ashore, global telephone communications via the Marine Operator (for a pretty penny), and lastly, a handy way to keep our party in touch on the water.
Face it. Few of us are into water sports because we like technical equipment. I took a GPS on a three month trip and never took it out of the bottom of the boat; it's just about the last place we want to fiddle with digital. But when it comes to communication issues on the water, particularly when you're well away from the long arm of civilization, enough technical savvy to manage a radio link to the outside when you want to is a very good thing.
You won't burn many brain cells trying to figure it out, either. Top of the line VHF radios of today are waterproof, durable, have a long battery life and are easier than ever to use. Even an entry level set will have features most of us will never use, but their basic operation is as straightforward as pushing a couple of buttons and knowing the protocol of radioese. Suffice the scope of this article to discuss some helpful, practical aspects of using a VHF radio while kayaking, and in particular, the M-88, as it is the latest of the ontogeny of proven Icom radios we've used over the years and one of two models I would recommend to readers, the other being their excellent M-IV.
Tip #1: Don't lowball the purchase.
Like the age-old advice: marry well, don't pick a crappy radio for a partner. You'll pay a couple of hundred bucks for a good radio, less if you're a smart shopper (check out the M-IV for under $200 on Ebay). I've dragged my Icoms down 1,000-plus miles of rugged, sandy, soggy coastline over the years and each model is still ticking. Starting with the M-15 in the early nineties, I moved to a M-IV when it came along about five years later and use an M-88 now. Actually, we use all three even now, depending on how large a group we are. Whatever you decide on, though, make sure it's waterproof, compact and manufactured by a reliable company with a good track record.
Tip #2: Keep it on your person.
You can't use it if you can't find it. When trouble hits, it may hit harder and faster than you anticipated. Worst case you'll find yourself separated from the boat; if that should happen when you're a mile offshore on a nice day in hell you'll wish you could call in the calvary.
If the radio is not compact and waterproof, it'll be problematic to have hanging on your chest. One good splash, or at the least, one good immersion, will take care of the circuitry; as for size, you won't want a big box of metal and plastic banging around and getting in the way of paddling for long. Buy the smallest, most reliable little radio you can afford for kayaking. Like binoculars, little ones get used.
I like to position mine on my chest so it's free of my lap and out of the way of my paddling. The knife lash tab on your PFD might be a good bet, or if you have a pocket like on a Kokatat vest, you can stick it there. The M-88 comes with a flexible loop that is long enough to go around the radio, thereby making it easy to tether for added security. When the radio is situated high on the chest, all you have to do to transmit is push the button and talk. Ditto if it's in the pocket, but you might have to talk out of the bottom of your mouth.
Taking a closer look at the waterproof issue, the better VHF radios are not necessarily waterproof, only guaranteed to be such, a not so subtle distinction when you're on a remote coast for a month. What that means is that if yours takes on water, they will repair or replace it for free when you get home. That's nice, but not much help really when you're still in the field. This is an ounce/pound equation, and keeping the unit in a waterproof bag when you're on the water is a smart idea. There are bags designed specifically to handle VHFs and cell phones around water. Frankly, I've avoided this and had good results with my radios. I do tuck mine behind my vest when though, in rain and splash.
Tip #3: Know thy channels
There are more channels and features on these new radios than a duck has feathers, but probably only a few are of importance to you. Channel 16, of course, is the Coast Guard emergency contact station and is monitored by the marine community (with the possible exception of kayakers).
You can also use 16 to initiate communication with another boater. When they respond, suggest another channel. These channels are typically a good bet for ship-to-ship or ship-to-shore: 09, 67, 68, 69, 72 or 73. You may find certain channels are monitored in certain locales. Find that and you can more easily access local knowledge.
Other channels are designated for different functions and agencies and it isn't appropriate to use them. One of the nice things about the M-88 is the digital readout that gives you the area of each channel as you access it. Again, these may vary from place to place, especially in foreign waters. For a comprehensive look at bands and channels and protocol, not to mention the need, if any, for licensing, contact the Coast Guard or the FCC (contact info in side-bar). Both the Canadian and US offices of the Coast Guard have booklets to help people applying for an operator's license. Even if you choose not to apply for a license, this is a valuable booklet to increase your proficiency with the radio.
Perhaps the most oft used function for most sea kayakers is accessing the local weather. There are 10 channels devoted to weather. On the M-88, select the WX button and it will put you in the vicinity. Simply scroll along until you get the best reception, which, interestingly, will change from week to week as you travel along the coast. Channels 21 International and 21b are also weather channels. Contact NOAA for some handy weather forecast interpretation booklets and pamphlets.
Tip #4: Use multiple radios as a group
If you've got a pair of radios along (or more) you can use them to coordinate on the water, no small thing. Say you've got units at point and sweep and the sun is beginning to accelerate its dive into the Pacific and it's time to settle on a camp. Your point paddler is a greyhound and shoots on ahead along the coast to scout. He finds nothing better than what you've already seen and radios back. You spin the group around and return to the last decent out in the mini-cove with the little creek just five minutes back.
Or maybe five of you are trolling flies for dinner and you suddenly hook into a 12-pound king. When it's dispatched and lying in your lap you get on the horn to announce that dinner's in the bag and it's catch and release time.
For serious kayak expeditions, tours or treks, the ability to stay in touch within a group of paddlers is a distinct bonus. We use ours from shore to ship also, to monitor when someone or a small group is paddling out after dinner or exploring out of camp. You'll find that you use considerably more power under such conditions though, and may have to dampen the desire to exchange casual witticisms. Having a second radio also means you've got a spare in case one goes down.
Perhaps the most important function of the little radio for sea kayakers on a remote trip of some duration, other than the potential to rescue, is to touch in with the team's contact person. Any well-planned kayak expedition of length will have a contact person. When I paddled alone down the outside of the Charlottes for example, my point of contact was Moresby Explorers. Out for nearly two months, they coordinated my resupply needs, relayed the happy news of the birth of my granddaughter, and were available to handle any logistical vagaries that might arise.
While a contact person may not always be within direct line of sight of the radio, they can be reached via a Marine Operator. And if they have an 800#, it makes it all the easier. Check with local water taxis, transport companies, outfitters to see if they will serve in this capacity for you for a small fee. You can always use a home number and serve double duty checking in with the spouse periodically, but someone closer to the area you are paddling and savvy with local contacts is usually a better bet.
