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Never Replace Flare Getting Tired of Buying New Flares? Check This Out!
I don’t know about you, but in the 40 years or so I have been sailing, I figure I have invested megabucks buying new flares. Not only that, but with the overzealous Harbor Patrol dudes trying to increase revenue, I found that soggy flares that won’t light are not exactly considered legal in the dink. So I add the cost of a few tickets, and we are into real money. So what’s the answer? Well, it’s a neat little doodad I saw at the Chicago Strictly Sail. Jim O’Meara, the CEO of the company, told me they called it the Omni Directional Electro Optical or ODEO Flare. A mouthful for sure. It is available from North American Laser Flares. We don’t need to get into what a pain in the butt disposing of old flares is. Yeah, when I was a kid it was fun. But it just seems like a waste of money now, burning perfectly good flares because the Coasties want to see a different date. With these laser flares, you don’t have to replace them! These goodies use laser technology so there’s no dangerous flammable pyrotechnics. The side benefit
of that? It won’t hurt you, your boat, your equipment, or the environment. It’s even FDA approved laser light technology which is safe for boats and people. It’s also as easy-to-use as turning on a flashlight and runs five hours continuously on one set of batteries. Best of all, it’s visible from all directions for 3-5 miles. The ODEO Flare floats so it can be used in “man overboard” situations. Of course it’s waterproof, and made with salt-water and chemical-resistant materials. It can be tested before each outing and during safety briefings. Oh yeah, did we mention no expiration or disposal concerns? How long does it last? How about a ten thousand working hour lifetime with manufacturer’s warranty. Okay, with all this kewl stuff, there must be a drawback, right? Well, it’s not cheap. But once you figure what you’ve spent on old flares, and let’s not forget dinghy tickets for outdated flares, all of a sudden this unit is looking pretty good. Check it out at www.odeoflares.com.
Tech Tips - Tech Tips - Tech Tips - Tech Tips -Tech Tips - Tech Tips - Tech Tips - Tech Tips - Tech Tips - Tech Tips - Tech Tips - Tech Tips - Te 166 Summer 2013 pg 166-173 Tech Tips.indd 2
Cruising 4/25/13 3:26 PM
