Using and caring for distress flares

Distress flares come to the rescue when there’s silence on your VHF radio and mobile phone by attracting the attention of boats, aircraft or people within line of sight.

Depending on where in Australia you go boating, you’ll likely need to carry aboard two red distress and two orange smoke flares for open or coastal waters and, in some cases, sheltered waters too. When heading offshore, add a parachute flare.

Tasmania and WA both allow the use of Electronic Visual Distress Signal (EVDS) devices – so-called ‘laser flares’ – under certain circumstances, but these are not endorsed by AMSA (Australian Marine Safety Authority) as a safe, recognisable alternative to traditional pyrotechnic flares.

Take note of the flare’s firing direction and point that end away from you, your boat and other people. Firing mechanisms vary between products and brands, so follow the instructions printed on the flare. 

Grip the flare firmly and when lit, hold it high and at arm’s length over the downwind side of your boat. Extinguish the flare by dropping it into a bucket of water or over the side.

Flares can only be used once, so use your marine radio or mobile phone first. Fire only when another boat or aircraft, or people on the shore, are in sight. Never look at a flare once lit.

EVDS flash a highly visible, 360-degree LED distress signal using morse code. While they’re not an internationally accepted alternative to pyrotechnic flares, these floating, waterproof, reusable devices can flash for 20 hours or more, are safer to use than flares, and are visible up to 1km in daylight or 10km at night.

These devices are accepted for use in Tasmania in sheltered waters if a GPS-enabled EPIRB registered with AMSA and a VHF radio are also aboard; in coastal waters, EVDS can be carried in lieu of the four hand-held flares but parachute flares must be carried aboard. They’re also accepted for use in WA when operating beyond 400m from shore in unprotected waters if a GPS-enabled EPIRB is carried or a GPS-enabled PLB is worn.

Flares should be stored aboard in a clearly labelled waterproof container. They must be replaced every three years, and expired units disposed of at equipped police stations (Victoria, SA, NT), Coast Guard, volunteer marine rescue, water police or Maritime Safety offices, waste transfer stations (Qld, Tasmania), popup collection points (NSW, Victoria), and at WA Department of Transport and City Council offices.