Pains Wessex has launched a new range of compact and personal marine distress signals. These small, lightweight and easy to use packs enable any type of water user – such as windsurfers, canoeists, dinghy sailors, jet skiers or divers – to carry long range marine distress signals which could be used to save their life.
The new range includes the Pains Wessex Compact Distress Signal, and the larger Personal Distress Signal. The Compact Distress Signal contains three red aerial flare cartridges and an integral penjector with firing mechanism, all enclosed in a tough, water-resistant case. A key feature is that the three cartridges are easily accessible and joined together by an elastic lanyard so the cartridges cannot be dropped or lost.
The Compact Distress Signal is small enough to carry, strap or tie to an accessible place, and comes with a handy lanyard hole. To operate, users simply slide the cartridge onto the penjector. The pull back and release firing mechanism makes it simple to operate with one hand or when floating in water.
The larger Personal Distress Signal contains nine red aerial flares in a tough handypack. This oblong container holds the penjector inside the lid and is also designed to enable the cartridges to be slotted easily on the firing mechanism, and fired using one hand. The red flares contained in both the Compact Distress Signal and Personal Distress Signal rise to 46 meters (150 foot) and burn for approximately 5.5 seconds at 10,000 candela. The flares are visible for around five miles in daylight, and up to 10 miles at night, depending on weather conditions
The new range of miniflares from Pains Wessex answer the safety needs of those individuals who are often the people who most need an emergency device such as a marine distress signal, but currently don’t carry them because of the size, shape and bulk of standard marine distress signals. The Personal Distress Signal retails at £49.35 inc VAT, and the Compact Distress Signal is £34.07 inc VAT. Both models are available through leading chandlers and marine equipment stores.
