Visual Distress Signals: Flare Expiry, Storage, Practice and Safe Disposal

Empty the flare kit, the ditch bag and that old coffee can under the seat. Sort into three piles: pyrotechnics (handheld flares, aerial flares, smoke), non-pyrotechnic gear (orange flag, electric distress light), and launchers.

Every signal you count must show a USCG approval number or the manufacturer's certification statement. Common types and what they cover:

• Handheld red flare: day and night
• Aerial red meteor or parachute flare: day and night (some need a launcher, which must also be approved)
• Handheld or floating orange smoke: day only
• Orange distress flag with a black square and ball: day only
• Electric distress light that flashes SOS automatically: night only

Pyrotechnic signals expire 42 months after the date of manufacture, and each one is stamped with its expiration date. Flare makers point out that this usually means replacing them every three boating seasons. If a flare has expired, or will expire during the coming season, replace it now. Expired signals do not count toward the requirement.

The most common legal setups for a boat 16 feet or longer are:

• Three handheld or aerial red flares rated for day and night, or
• An orange distress flag (day) plus an electric distress light (night), or
• Three orange smoke signals (day) plus an electric distress light (night)

You can mix types as long as you have the required number for both day and night. Signals that need a launcher only count if the launcher is aboard.

Look for cracked or swollen casings, loose or missing end caps, water stains, and damp or corroded striker ends. Moisture, heat and rough handling all shorten a flare's life. Any flare that looks damaged should be treated as expired, even if the date is fine. Orion asks owners to inspect every signal and launcher for moisture damage at least once a year, even when the dates are good.

Turn the light on in a dark spot and confirm it flashes the SOS pattern. The label must give a battery replacement schedule; follow it and carry spares. Electric lights do not expire like flares, but dead batteries make them useless. Unfold the flag and check it is bright orange with the black square and circle, not faded or torn.

If you have an aerial flare launcher, check the firing pin is not bent. Then, as Orion describes, slide an unexpired shell all the way in and close the barrel. If it snaps fully shut, it works. Open it and remove the shell right away. Never store or carry a launcher loaded, and never force a barrel that will not close.

The law says signals must be readily accessible, which means not buried under fenders. Keep them in a waterproof container in a dry, shaded spot near the helm, out of reach of children. Store aerial shells separately from the launcher. When the boat is laid up for winter, take the flares home and store them safely away from heat and kids.

It is illegal to light flares on the water for practice, so practice the motions instead. Read the instructions printed on each signal while you are calm at the dock. With an unlit flare, rehearse:

• Removing the cap and finding the striker or pull ring
• Holding a handheld flare at arm's length, pointed up and out over the side, on the downwind side of the boat so smoke and dripping slag blow away from you
• For aerial flares, pointing up and slightly downwind, never at people, boats or aircraft
• Striking the igniter with a downward motion, pointed away from your face and body. Orion's instructions say to hold the burning flare over the side and not to wave it over your head, where hot slag can drip on you.

Orion also warns that a flare launcher used for anything other than emergency signaling can bring civil or criminal trouble, including under local firearms laws. Keep it in the flare kit, unloaded, and never show it off.

Many boaters also watch a supervised flare demonstration at a safety event, fire department or Coast Guard Auxiliary class. Make sure your crew, not just you, knows where the kit is and how to use it.

Signals only work if someone can see them. Use pyrotechnics when you can see or hear a boat or aircraft, or are sure someone on shore can see you. An aerial flare attracts attention; a handheld flare or smoke helps rescuers home in on you once they are heading your way. Save at least one signal for when the rescuer is close.

A few tips from Orion's safety FAQ:

• Fire small aerial flares in pairs, one right after the other, so a spotter can confirm what they saw and which direction it came from. A parachute flare burns long enough that one is usually enough.
• Do not chase a plane that has passed. Search aircraft often fly a grid and may come back from another direction; save your aerials for the next pass.
• Plan for the wait. A handheld flare is seen only a few miles across the water, and a rescue boat can take 15 minutes or more to reach you, so carry more handhelds than the legal minimum.
• If a launcher clicks but does not fire, keep it pointed up and away over the water and wait at least five seconds before you open it. A delayed "hang-fire" can still go off.

You may keep a few expired flares aboard as extra backups, as long as you also carry the required number of current ones. Mark them "EXPIRED" with a marker and store them separately so nobody grabs them first. Old flares become less reliable, so they are only extras, never your main kit.

Flares that will no longer be used are classed as hazardous waste (toxic, reactive and ignitable) and are shipped as explosives, which is why disposal can be hard to find and some programs charge for it. The National Safe Boating Council notes that California law bans putting them in waterways, the trash or municipal landfills, and points boaters to their county household hazardous waste program. Options:

• Local collection events: some areas hold flare drop-off days. BoatUS, county waste agencies and harbors have run free events, especially in California, sometimes handing out coupons for electronic flares.
• Ask your local fire department, police, or household hazardous waste program. Many accept flares or can tell you where to take them. Call first; do not just leave them on a counter.
• Ask your marina, the Coast Guard Auxiliary or a local boating safety group about upcoming collections.

Some flare makers say handheld flares can be burned on land in a safe, open area away from water, like a road flare. Many towns forbid this, and a red flare seen from the water can still trigger a rescue call, so only do it with your fire department's approval. Never throw flares overboard, in the trash, or in a dumpster, and never fire aerial flares to get rid of them.