ACR ResQFlare PRO Electronic Visual Distress Signal

The ACR ResQFlare PRO is a buoyant electronic visual distress signal meeting RTCM 13200.00, using red-orange, cyan and infrared LEDs.

Carrying this and the supplied distress flag lets a US recreational boat stop carrying pyrotechnic flares altogether. That applies to boats up to 65 feet on the Great Lakes, in US waters within 12 miles of shore, or on any waterway connecting to the sea at least two miles across. Boats under 16 feet need neither. Pyrotechnic flares expire, cannot be tested and have to be disposed of as hazardous waste, and none of that applies here.

It flashes the Morse SOS pattern: three red-orange flashes, three cyan, then three red-orange again. The infrared channel flashes the same pattern simultaneously for search and rescue teams using night vision. It runs a minimum of three hours at that intensity across a luminous angle of 180 degrees or more, which is half again longer than RTCM requires.

It is approved under 46 CFR 161.013 as a night signal, and the included flag meets 46 CFR 160.072 as a day signal, so the pair covers both carriage requirements in 33 CFR part 175. The flag flies from a mast, is waved by hand or lashed to a paddle, or lies flat on deck for aircraft. Day use only, black square over black circle.

A mounting bracket and hardware are supplied, and a 1 meter lanyard tucks under the Velcro wrap at the center so it can be tied to a person or a life raft. Being buoyant matters on a signal that may be deployed in the water rather than from a deck. Explore more distress signals and safety lights.

• Replaces pyrotechnic flares on US recreational boats
• No expiry, no hazardous disposal, and it can be tested
• Red-orange, cyan and infrared SOS for night vision teams
• Three hours minimum, with a day distress flag included