Having scuba dived in Florida and the Bahamas' extensively, it is nice to be
able to get your feet out of the water when the 10' hammerhead shark comes
nibbling at your toes.  The Coast Guard may know where you are in ten
minutes, but, for whatever circumstance may not arrive at your scene for
hours.  Sharks rather like dangling legs in a life jacket, sorta like eating
grapes off the vine!

Admitted renting and stowing a big bulky raft is a pain, but if you go in
the drink, its your next best friend after the EPIRB.  

Bob Mitchell

-----Original Message-----
From: Lancair Mailing List [mailto:lml@lancaironline.net] On Behalf Of Lorn
H Olsen
Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 5:13 AM
To: lml@lancaironline.net
Subject: [LML] Re: Need a life raft

Jim,

I don't think that you need a life-raft. It is not the best solution.  
Get an inflatable 6" x 6" x 4" life jacket and an EPIRB. With the new  
EPIRBs the Coast Guard will know where you are to within 10' in 5  
minutes. Why ride home in a liferaft when you can ride home in a USCG  
Cutter.

I bought an AquaFix 406 /GPS EPIRB from life-raft.com for $583 on  
02/15/05. I am sure that they cost less now. You can see them at:

      http://www.life-raft.com/dept.asp?d_id=9858&l1=9858

I bought the EPIRB for a flight to the Bahamas that I never took. My  
beacon is registered for an aircraft at: beaconregistration.noaa.gov.  
I have the EPIRB mounted behind the seats on my plane. I also still  
have my ELT.

I don't understand the problem? If I crash, the ELT goes off. If I am  
conscience, I set off the EPIRB. Here is a copy of the registration: