EPIRB

anyone able to give any guidance on which the best EPIRB is for paddling?

ideally one that can easily and comfortably sit in a PFD pocket.

many thanks

What you want is a PLB not an EPIRB, the ACR ResQLink+ is popular and used by many paddlers.

EPIRBs are designed to be fitted to boats and go off when wet generally, for instance when a boat takes on water.
To big and not ideal for a surf ski.

^^^ What he said. PLBs are really compact and will easily attach to the shoulder strap of your PFD. Don't know where you are....? But Whitworths have a decent assortment in Sydney.

IF your in the US you might look at a Horizon HX870 handheld radio with GPS and DSC.

Fath2o wrote: IF your in the US you might look at a Horizon HX870 handheld radio with GPS and DSC.

But note that does something quite different to a PLB.

Yes the DSC system is different, but, here in the US there is the "Rescue 21" system that will pick up your pre-programmed distress signal with all the personal information you provide up to 20 miles (32 km) offshore from a DSC equipped radio transmitting at 1 watt. It will also transmit a distress signal to any similarly equipped vessel that can receive it. While the radio is transmitting the digital signal you can still use the radio. The rescue 21 system transmits a radio signal directly to the US coast Guard vs a satellite. Another cool feature is you can track and talk to your mates if they have the same radio. It also has full GPS functions. The problem that I have encountered is battery discharge apparently due to the automatic strobe light feature turning on when the unit gets wet and I think it is also hunting for a GPS signal while it is in my PFD pouch. That strobe function can be turned off. Also when the speaker gets wet it is virtually impossible to hear the incoming transmission - you need to shake out the water. Definitely not perfect.
So just throwing it out there as an alternative that may get you rescued faster, and have more features, than a PLB in some areas. It also allows you to directly contact the nearest rescue agency.
I'm not recommending one or the other, just providing info.

Fath2o wrote: Yes the DSC system is different, but, here in the US there is the "Rescue 21" system that will pick up your pre-programmed distress signal with all the personal information you provide up to 20 miles (32 km) offshore from a DSC equipped radio transmitting at 1 watt. It will also transmit a distress signal to any similarly equipped vessel that can receive it. While the radio is transmitting the digital signal you can still use the radio. The rescue 21 system transmits a radio signal directly to the US coast Guard vs a satellite. Another cool feature is you can track and talk to your mates if they have the same radio. It also has full GPS functions. The problem that I have encountered is battery discharge apparently due to the automatic strobe light feature turning on when the unit gets wet and I think it is also hunting for a GPS signal while it is in my PFD pouch. That strobe function can be turned off. Also when the speaker gets wet it is virtually impossible to hear the incoming transmission - you need to shake out the water. Definitely not perfect.
So just throwing it out there as an alternative that may get you rescued faster, and have more features, than a PLB in some areas. It also allows you to directly contact the nearest rescue agency.
I'm not recommending one or the other, just providing info.

Thanks for your input, though it is highly location and other operator dependent refer this article - baymarineelectronics.co.nz/latest_news/dsc/

PLBs have guaranteed battery life vs user controlled battery life.

sAsLEX, Thanks for the article. Yeah it really depends on where you live/paddle if a DSC radio make sense vs a PLB that is said to work world wide. I have no idea what other countries have employed any thing similar to the "Rescue 21" system.
I understand that many boats with DSC radios have never hooked them up to a GPS defeating the function.