Cold Weather Gear for Your Bass Boat
Not everyone is getting ready to put their boat in storage. Sometimes, work or just dedication keep you on the water all year long. But if this is your first winter taking the bass boat out, you’ll quickly notice a chillier atmosphere to your days, even down here near Mobile, Alabama. It’s also going to come with a certain degree of risk so safety needs to be a priority. We’ve already addressed some of the winter safety concerns here, but we’d like to take a moment to touch on gear you can get to make winter with your bass boat a little easier. Read on to learn more and stop by L&M Marine LLC with any additional questions you might have. We proudly serve Pensacola, Florida and Biloxi, Mississippi.
Personal Position Locator Beacon
As always, safety needs to be a priority. Start by considering what happens if someone falls overboard. With colder waters, it’s imperative that help arrive as soon as possible. Even if you stay in the boat, but find yourself lost, you’ll want to help rescuers as much as you can to get someplace warm. In the digital age, the best way to do this is to equip everyone on board with a personal position locator beacon, or PLB. At the very least, your bass boat needs one. This will signal to rescuers exactly where you are, even if you can’t. You can even find PLBs that automatically activate when submerged.
Emergency Locator Light
You can never be too prepared when it comes to making sure rescuers can spot you. While your PLB will bring them to you, the next step is stand out in the ocean. Consider an emergency locator light in lieu of a mirror. Mirrors are often ineffective the farther away rescuers are and they’re virtually useless at night. An emergency locator light is much more reliable.
Signal Flares
You should also have signal flares and even a flare gun. Both will make you easier to spot, even if you find yourself caught in the middle of a severe storm. We recommend having both on board, just in case.
Whistle
It’s one of the oldest survival tricks in the book, but for good reason. Don’t underestimate the ability a whistle has to help rescuers locate you, especially if you’re hard pressed for visual aids. You might want to learn the SOS morse code signal so that even nearby boaters can know that you need help.
Dy Suit
Survival gear is important, but you’ll also want to be wearing the right gear, too. When it’s wet and cold out, the normal set of layers may not be enough. A dry suit is one way to keep water from weighing down any insulation you’ve created for yourself. You might be particularly interested in this if you take your bass boat to rough waters.
Flotation Coat
If you want to upgrade your life vest or other personal flotation device, consider a flotation coat. The advantage here is that it provides more insulation while also being buoyant, in the event you find yourself in cold waters. It’s the better choice for cold-weather boaters.
Survival Suit
The ultimate cold-weather gear for bass boaters is a survival suit. It comes with a little bit of everything, including insulation, water repellent, flotation, and even reflective tape. They’re going to be a little costlier, but if you spend a lot of time out in cold waters, you’ll definitely want one.
You might also want to invest in a bass boat that gives you more storage for winter gear or a better hull for winter boating. If this is the case, stop by L&M Marine LLC and we’ll show you the bass boats we have for sale right now. We welcome all boaters from Mobile, Alabama; Pensacola, Florida; and Biloxi, Mississippi.