ACR C-Strobe H2O Water-Activated Distress Light
- Brand:
- ACR
- Part no:
- 3964.1
Image: Fisheries Supply
Where to buy
The ACR C-Strobe H2O is a personal distress light that switches on when it gets wet. It uses LED technology and is built for a longer operating life than earlier strobes. The case is impact resistant, and the light is approved to USCG and SOLAS standards, so it counts as proper distress lighting rather than just a handy torch.
Our take
Water activation is the useful part of the C-Strobe H2O: if someone ends up in the water, the light comes on without anyone having to find a switch. The USCG/SOLAS approval means it is a recognised distress light, not an improvised one.
From our buying guide
On US coastal waters, a boat 16 feet or more must carry visual distress signals for day and for night. Some cover only one: an orange flag is day only, and an electric distress light is night only.
Check before you buy:
- You'll reach the required number, which for pyrotechnics is three for day and three for night, since a kit's name is not proof it meets the rule.
- The marked expiry date leaves you time, since a flare's can be no more than 42 months from manufacture, and it's the marked date that counts.
- Anything that needs a launcher has an approved one, and you've checked your state's rules, since the Coast Guard says some states treat them as firearms.