Which whistle for kayaking?

Author: josh

Category: Safety & navigation

Created on Wednesday, 02 June 2010 13:47

Written by Josh

Despite the fact that even though I've been kayaking for over a decade now and having carried a whistle for most of that time, I've rarely had call to use one. That said, it's better to have a whistle and not need it than to need a whistle and not have it. Recent events have served as a timely reminder on the potential life-saving qualities of a good, reliable and notably loud whistle, which is why now is a good time to share a bit of info on a couple of whistles that you can depend on.

Both models mentioned below are made by Fox 40, which are a company the specializes in whistles. The Fox 40 Classic whistle has been around for quite some time and has a great reputation for dependability. It's a 3-chamber pea-less design that has zero moving parts and practically nothing that can go wrong with it. Apart from it's split ring (which should be replaced with a stainless version by salt water kayakers), the Classic is completely corrosion resistant. And best of all, it's loud - damned loud. How loud? 115 decibels worth of screeching noise polution, which is precariously close to what a typical ambulance siren is capable of belting out. At under $14, it's pretty hard to go wrong with the Classic.

The latest offering from Fox is the new Sharx Safety whistle (pictured top of page), which shares many of the same qualities, but at 120 db rating, is even louder - right on par with a typical ambulance siren. And unlike the classic, the Sharx does come with a good quality stainless split ring and is only marginally more expensive.