The intensity of the light is usually not the issue. Even a quite modest light is readily visible for a great distance at night. As noted up thread, the real problem is that kayaks sit so low in the water, and are hard to see even in daylight. With even a modest bit of wave action, the kayaker will frequently disappear in the trough between waves.


In most cases, a kayaker will see other approaching vessels long before they can see the kayak. Almost any boat will have their lights mounted higher than a kayak. It is often best to paddle without a light on, preserving your night vision, and giving yourself a better chance of seeing the running lights of other boats a long way off.

In my experience, by far the biggest danger to kayakers is from high speed powerboats. If you see or hear one approaching, you turn on your headlamp or flashlight, and sweep it across them a few times. Then perhaps hold a paddle up in the air, and shine your light on the paddle blade (I sometimes put a short bit of reflective tap on my blades). A trick sailboats sometimes use is to shine a light up onto their sails, which becomes a very big, obvious marker.

Big ships will have their lights mounted very high off the water, and you should be able to see them far off. Big ships are also generally constrained to channels, and can't readily turn to avoid a kayak even if they see it, without risking running aground and endangering themselves. Likewise, due to their momentum, big ships can't readily stop. A large tanker may take miles to turn or stop. And big ships have to maintain some minimal speed to maintain control ("steerage way").

Hence the onus is on the kayaker to stay the hell out of the way of large vessels (the informal but very real "rule of superior tonnage"). Kayakers should be aware of shipping channels in the area, and avoid them. If you must cross a channel, look both ways then get across as fast as possible. (Much like a pedestrian crosses a busy road without a "walk light".)

Thanks, that's good info.

Situations vary, but the majority of my kayaking has been in waters far too shallow or turbulent for conventional craft -sea caves, for instance. And when a paddler is in more conventional situations, keep a sharp lookout.

On board larger vessels, I have been startled numerous times by the sudden appearance of smaller paddlecraft and vessels, typically displaying no lights at all, even under dusky conditions.

Strobe lights-there is some variation. This source states strobe are for inland waters -at 50-70 flashes per minute. Others don't make that distinction. Can't you just picture the Gary Larson cartoon with the caption "He must be OK. He's only flashing 48 times a minute."

On a related note; I prefer light colored paddles ( yellow) so I can signal power boats that I am here. Ditto for bright PFD"s - No blue or black please, I'm trying to find you in the water

I just received the ACR Firefly PRO SOLAS Strobe from one of the on-line retailers. First impression is that it is well built and has a battery compartment very similar to the Streamlight Sidewinder. Although the two lights are similar in size they are very different lights.

The switch on the ACR Firefly requires a very long movement that should preclude it accidentally activating. Also when it shipped the piece of hook & loop/velcro was wrapped such that the switch cannot move. That may be a clue as to how a user should pack the light.

After inserting the batteries (NiMH), I found the light activates: 1) Strobe, then 2) Steady, then 3) SOS and if you turn the light off after mode 2 (steady) and turn it on a good while later it activates with mode 3 -- it doesn't reset to restart at mode 1.

I would prefer that it reset and always started as a steady light, then strobe, then SOS. But I'm sure they had their reasons.

YMMV. No affiliation other than as a customer.

Wisconsin law (where I'll retire to soon - but not soon enough) says that all boats less than 39.4 feet long, powered and unpowered, will have a front mounted red/green side lights (facing left/right ... port/starboard) visible 1 mile away dark, and a rear 3.3 foot or higher 360 degree white light visible 2 miles away in the dark.

But then it goes on to say that if this lighting is not practical for unpowered boats less than 23 feet long, then have a at least one white lantern or flashlight that can be displayed in time to avoid a collision.

While I don't plan to kayak at night, my main light would likely be a good headlight, but for fear that I might bump it off and lose it in the drink (it happened to me once in the boundary waters, sigh) ... I think I'd also have another small light attached to my PFD.

I do wonder if a strobe might be interpreted as a need for rescue.

If I see a strobe on the water at night I'm very likely to investigate or call for a rescue.

According to the USCG, a strobe flashing at 50to70 times per minute is an official distress signal. Beyond all that, I,too, would check out such a phenomenon.

Thanks for that insight.

Of course the flashing strobe would still be good to carry if indeed and emergency occurred. :-)

I have a house on a fairly large lake - large enough to get turned around and a bit lost at night. Have you ever heard of someone putting a special light on the shore as a "home beacon"? The house light(s) are just white bulbs that will turn on/off with/without movement (not fond of lights on all night).

Unfortunately, my lake home is on a smallish (25 acre) lake that is connected to the much bigger lake, so rather than a "home beacon" I think I'd be better off with a GPS that will light up at night. I don't think the neighbors want to install a permanent beacon at the lake-to-lake channel.

I once saw a pair of blue lights, one above the other, on a post at the end of a pier. This was on a private pier along the ICW. I assume that this was to avoid any possible confusion, because blue lights aren't used in any aids to navigation, but white, red and yellow lights are. If you used two posts, a taller one behind a shorter one, you could also derive your relative bearing from the apparent offset or alignment of the two lights. But I'm not sure what the regulations are about private pier lighting and such.