Here is a list of gear recommendations you may find useful.
Spray skirts and replacement neoprene covers
| Rasdex | NZ manufacturer of Spray decks, cockpit covers, neoprene hatch covers and more. Good quality, Good prices and fast delivery |
Safety gear
| Whistle | NRS Storm Whistle The loudest whistle made |
| Knife | NRS Pilot Knife NRS Co-Pilot Knife What particular brand is not such an issue, what is important is corrosion resistant, blunt tip to prevent self injury, ability to attach a lanyard and secure to your PFD. |
| VHF Radio | Uniden MHS127 Mine is 5 years old and still going and comes with AA backup option for those long expeditions away from chargers |
| Paddle Float | Inflatable paddle floats would be my recommendation, I have found the buoyancy in some solid foam versions to be insufficient to self rescue. These can be found online or ebay for around $50-60 |
| Hand pump | Sea to Summit The sea to summit pumps seem as good as any. Just maybe avoid the cheap ebay brands. Manual pumps are a good backup, but ultimately you really want an electric bilge pump for hands free operation. |
| Waterproof Mobile Phones | AGM M9 Aspera R40 IP68, old school buttons, works with wet hands. |
| Tow Lines | Key criteria here is quick release at at least one end, floating line. There are many systems though, my preference is a waist tow. Contact Tow Line Long Tow Line Waist Tow Line The cheap alternative is get 15m of floating line and learn the highwayman's hitch. Very versatile, adjust the length. |
| Compasses | The simple solutions would be a Silva Kayak 58 compass, attaches to deck lines with bungee. For a more permanent solution Silva 85 or Ritchie deck mount are good. Alternatively a good base plate hand held compass can suffice. DO NOT buy cheap compasses of ebay, these are essentially toys. Spend the money on a good brand, like Silva. |