Key Attributes Of A Marine Safety Whistle

If you're going to go boating, you need to have some important gear that will keep you safe. While the first thing you think about will likely be a life jacket, there are many other useful pieces of gear that you should have handy. One product is a marine safety whistle, which you can buy from retailers that specialize in gear for outdoor activities. There are lots of these whistles on the market, so they can vary a little. Here are three key attributes that you should look for when you shop for a marine safety whistle. 

Bright Color

This type of whistle should be a bright color. This is one of the most important attributes because the brighter the whistle, the more visible it will be. This is especially important in low-light situations, including when you're boating in the evening, but can also be effective in storms where heavy rains can impede your view. A marine whistle that is made of fluorescent orange plastic, for example, will be a lot more visible than one made of gray plastic. This will allow you to locate it faster so that you can blow it to alert people to an emergency.

Lanyard

You'll also want to ensure that you buy a marine safety whistle that is equipped with a lanyard. The lanyard will allow you to attach the whistle to your body where it will be easy to retrieve, rather than placing it in a pocket and potentially having it fall out. For example, a lot of people affix the lanyard of their safety whistle to one of the straps of their life jackets. You'll want the lanyard to be long enough that you can blow the whistle without having to remove it from your life jacket.

Pealess Design

Traditionally, a lot of whistles were equipped with a pea—a small, pea-shaped piece of plastic inside of the whistle. Today, most whistles are pealess, which means that they don't have this piece of plastic inside. A pealess design is important in marine whistles. The pea can sometimes get wedged in the whistle and affect its volume. Additionally, if you're in a cold weather situation, water in the whistle could freeze and hold the pea in place—preventing the whistle from being loud. With a pealess design, you can be confident that your whistle will be very loud when you blow it.

Contact a local marine safety whistle supplier to learn more. 

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