Marine radio use

04 May, 2018, 2 min, 344 words

Training today included history, self-rescues, and remote communication. I particularly enjoyed learning about marine radio communications. As kayakers, we mainly use the radio to communicate with larger boats that might not see us. In our area, guides use some channels to discuss wildlife sightings as well.

Initially I was confused by the channel numbering scheme: did channel 16 (pronounced "one six") correspond to 160 MHz or something? But it turns out that channel numbering is just an international standard that maps to real radio frequencies. That is, channel 16 translates to 156.800 MHz, channel 4 means 156.200, and so on. These real frequencies aren't necessarily in order. For example, channels 60 through 88 fall between lower channels in frequency. That is thanks to improvements in radio technology, which allowed narrower bands than when earlier channels were allocated.

For our purposes, most of what we need to know is:

Channel 16 is a general-purpose channel that we try to keep clear when possible. We use it for hailing and safety announcements.
Channels 1-4 carry marine weather information.
Around here, channel 72 is the tourboat "wildlife" channel.
When we start a large crossing or otherwise leave the coastline, we should make an announcement so larger boats know where we are.

One note: Marine radio uses the VHF band, meaning you're largely restricted to line-of-sight contact. So don't count on it for long-distance communication.

If you (like me) want to learn more, the Wikipedia page is a wealth of information and a good place to start.

Out on the water

In other news, I had four successful controlled wet exits today. On the last one I didn't even need several deep breaths to compose myself. Small victories! We also played with paddle float re-entry and roll, which was challenging and incredibly satisfying to figure out in the end. Next up: remembering to roll forward instead of reaching backwards once I've popped my skirt off.