Last fall, I had a couple of scenarios where a 2-way radio would have been real handy. First, there was the time Kris waived me over to his “hot spot” that he found. Upon paddling 100 yards or so, I was disappointed to learn he was landing barely-legal trout when I had just landed a nice 22″ fish where I was. Then, there was the time when we were fishing Christmas Bay and I lost sight of Kris. He has a habit of taking off in search of who-knows-what. At any rate, this year I plan to invest in a waterproof 2-way radio and I’m encouraging my fellow “blanglers” to do the same.
There aren’t many waterproof options out there, but here are two options I’ve found online:
For a little over $100, you can get this 2 radio package. They have a nice 26-mile range, NOAA weather alerts, and rechargeable batteries. This is definitely the economical way to go.
This is a picture of the Rino 530HCX – the cadillac of 2-way radios. If you’re not familiar with the Rino radios, they are combination GPS and 2-way receivers. The family has options for B&W or color screens. The 530 features a a 14-mile range, NOAA weather alerts, a barometric altimeter, and an electronic compass.
The Rino series also has a nice feature where you can see fellow Rino users on the GPS map. I think this would be a great feature for tracking down Kris. Only problem is… I have to encourage him to get one too.
I’m still undecided on which route I will go, but I don’t like to clutter my yak, so I’m leaning in the direction of the all-in one radio. I’ll keep everyone posted on what I decide. Regardless, this year you can bet I’ll be barking “Breaker 1-9, fish on the line.”
A Fish Out Of Water 
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