Ocean Signal

Ocean Signal is a British safety-electronics manufacturer specialising in compact EPIRBs, PLBs and AIS beacons. We stock their range for anyone needing a reliable way to raise the alarm and be found quickly in an emergency at sea.

An EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) is registered to your boat and typically mounted where it can be reached or float free in an emergency, transmitting your position via satellite to alert search and rescue. A PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) does a similar job but is personal and portable – registered to an individual rather than a vessel, small enough to carry on your lifejacket, and just as relevant for hillwalking or other activities as for boating. Many offshore sailors carry both: an EPIRB for the boat and a PLB per crew member, so a beacon goes with each person even if they end up separated from the vessel.

AIS units add a different capability – a personal AIS beacon (like a man-overboard beacon) alerts nearby vessels with AIS receivers directly, which can bring help faster in a crowded area than a satellite alert alone, and works well alongside, not instead of, an EPIRB or PLB. All Ocean Signal beacons need registering with the Irish Coast Guard once purchased.

Frequently asked questions

EPIRB or PLB – which do I need?

An EPIRB is registered to and typically mounted on the boat; a PLB is personal and portable. Many offshore sailors carry both, so a beacon goes with each crew member as well as the vessel.

What does an AIS beacon do that an EPIRB doesn’t?

It alerts nearby vessels with AIS receivers directly, which can bring help faster in busy waters – it complements rather than replaces an EPIRB or PLB’s satellite alert.