Safety Equipment

Our Safety Equipment range covers the alerting and rescue side of onboard safety: flares, EPIRBs and PLBs, liferafts, safety knives and safety ropes/lines/life rings – the equipment you hope never to need but should never be without.

This category sits alongside Lifejackets as the second core pillar of onboard safety: where a lifejacket keeps you afloat, this range is about being found and rescued. Marine Flares remain a widely-carried, low-tech way to signal distress, but have a fixed expiry and must be replaced on schedule. EPIRBs and PLB & AIS Units are the modern, increasingly standard alternative or supplement – alerting the Irish Coast Guard directly via satellite (EPIRB/PLB) or nearby vessels via AIS, faster and more reliably than a flare alone in many situations.

A Liferaft is the step up once you’re regularly out of realistic swimming distance from shore. Safety Knives and Safety Ropes, Lines & Life Rings round out the range – practical kit for cutting a fouled line in an emergency or recovering someone from the water. Browse the subcategories below for the full range in each area.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need flares if I already have an EPIRB?

Many boats carry both – an EPIRB alerts rescuers to your position via satellite, while flares remain a widely recognised visual signal, useful if rescuers or nearby vessels are already close by.

What’s the most commonly forgotten piece of safety equipment?

Checking flare expiry dates – flares have a fixed shelf life and are easy to forget about until an inspection or emergency reveals they’re out of date.

When do I need a liferaft rather than just lifejackets and an EPIRB?

Once you’re regularly out of realistic swimming distance from shore or crossing open water, a liferaft becomes the standard recommendation alongside, not instead of, the rest of your safety kit.