2023-Jul-28
Expired Flares? Consider Adding an eVDSD to Your Boating Emergency Kit
If your existing flares have a manufacture date of 2019 or earlier they have or will expire this year. According to Transport Canada requirements, flares are approved for four years from the date of manufacture. This means that you must replace traditional flares every third or fourth boating season. It’s not easy to get rid of expired flares in a safe and environmentally responsible way. Canadian Power Sail Squadrons only has one Safety Equipment Education and Flare Disposal Day in the Georgian Bay area this year (September 30 at Sudbury Hearth and Home) to bring your outdated marine flares to be properly disposed of, free of charge.
Transport Canada recently approved the use of accredited electronic visual distress signal devices (eVDSD) in lieu of traditional pyrotechnic distress signals (flares) in pleasure crafts. These devices offer a 2-colour cyan (blue) and red-orange S-O-S light sequence, a near-infrared signal so it can be detected with night vision goggles, an average effective intensity of at least 50 candela and at least 2 hours continuous operating life.
Approved eVDSDs also:
- must be carried with a Transport Canada approved smoke signal for daytime alerting
- must have documentation from an accredited product certification body, or the United States Coast Guard (USCG), stating that it has been tested to and meets the requirements of the RTCM standard 13200.0
- must be labelled with the statement, “Complies with RTCM Standard 13200.0 for an eVDSD”. If a device doesn’t include this statement, it is not compliant as an alternative to pyrotechnic distress signals.
eVDSDs are a great alternative to traditional flares which are hard to ship, need to be stored in a cool, dry location, and are difficult to dispose of in a safe and environmentally friendly manor. A flare signal only burns for a short time and flares expire about four years after their manufacture date. It’s also hard to find a course to learn how to use them correctly and trying to read the directions during an emergency might add another level of panic.
Watch this short video to learn more about Transport Canada approved eVDSDs: