The law and boat lights

Hi all,

I'm unclear on the regulations about the use of lights on kayaks. I have a strobe light attached to my life jacket but I heard a rumour that it is not legal to turn on that strobe except for emergencies. In other words, I should not use it as a working light when paddling at night. I have since asked other pros up here in the north and I've looked at various boating regulations but I haven't been able to find a reference to this issue. This makes me think that it is fine to use a red or white strobe on the boat. After all, many of us use flashing white and red lights on our bicycles...

Can anyone clarify this? If it IS forbidden to use white strobes as general lights it's something that the kayak community should know about.

Thanks!

Lise Vaugeois
(Currently paddling in Thunder Bay!)

Paddling at Night. Lights for kayaks.

Lise.

Thanks for an excellent question. Here is the scoop. If you are paddling at night you are required by the Canadian Coast Guard to have a 360 degree visible white light. Some options could be a headlamp, waterproof flashlight or a deck mounted light.

Deck Lights
Probably the best light for a kayak is the deck light. Also called an anchor light, a deck light is a white light that can usually be seen 360 degrees in any direction. It's not the most practical kind of light for a kayaker since the glare tends to obscure the paddler's night vision. Mount on the aft deck to avoid killing your night vision.

Head Lamp
A simpler solution is a head lamp worn while paddling. The light follows your head and reveals you to approaching craft. You can leave the light off and switch it on only when you need it. A floating flashlight attached to the deck or inside of the cockpit with velcro also works. The problem with a flashlight is that it can take 20 minutes to recover your night vision after use. Cover the lens with a red filter, which doesn't hurt your night vision.

Reflective Tape and Emergency Lights+
Strips of reflective tape applied to the edge of the hull fore and aft or to the paddle shaft can help make your kayak more visible and identifiable to rapidly approaching boats. Cyalume or C-lights are emergency chemical lights that are very visible and help preserve your night vision. They're easily duct taped to the hull, paddle shaft or pinned to the back of your life jacket. Yellow, lime green and orange are the easiest colors to see.
Last night paddle I did I stuck a glow stick in a hole in my helmet. I looked like a radioactive Telly Tubby but it works amazingly!

Finally, yes your strobe light is for emergency use only.

Hope this helps and enjoy your paddles in Thunder Bay!