Signal Mirrors: Simple but Effective

By Paul Wiltse

An important part of sea kayaking is having the equipment necessary to allow one to signal for help in an emergency. There are many ways to call for help: radios, strobes, cell phones, flares, distress flags, night sticks, and dye marker are just a few. These can all be effective, but most are subject to battery or chemical exhaustion, may fail in marine environments, or have a limited range. A good signal mirror is a worthwhile addition to your kayaking equipment. It is inexpensive, weighs little, occupies less space than a wallet, and will work any time the sun is visible. A signal mirror can grab the attention of a potential rescuer at long range, and the sun is an inexhaustible resource.

Typically, the reflection of a 3 by 5 mirror is visible 20 miles, ground to air, in any direction with the sun high in the sky, and sometimes much farther - the record is 105 miles. As an emergency signaling device, the U.S. Coast Guard rates them second only to radios. U.S. and foreign military services have used signal mirrors for 60 years or so, and they have played a part in many rescues.

As with any safety device, signal mirrors have limitations. For instance, sunlight is necessary to operate the device (although signaling is possible on brightly moonlit nights, or by reflecting a rescuer's searchlight). A general rule of thumb is that a highly reflective signal mirror can only be useful when the light striking it is strong enough to cast a shadow. On bright but overcast days a signal mirror will not be useful.

The effectiveness of the signal mirror is also dependent upon the kayakerís ability to use it. Aiming the device may be difficult if the paddler is injured or in heavy seas, especially if maintaining balance in the kayak is a concern. Aiming a signal mirror is more challenging, and the intensity of a signal decreases, if the sun is low in the sky and the potential rescuer is on the opposite horizon. Finally, signal mirrors are ''line of sight'' instruments - they are only effective when your signal targets are not obscured by land, fog or the horizon.

Signal mirrors are most effective when flashed at a potential rescuer. A flashing light is more likely to capture the attention of a passerby, especially if the signal is weakened by distance, quality of the mirror, or low light levels. Flash the mirror by tilting it up and down across the target. Continuous flashing toward a moving object such as a boat or airplane would not be dismissed as a reflection from a naturally occurring source. Donít bother trying to flash a code message like an SOS. Not all of your flashes will hit the target, so any code is likely to be incomplete. Just concentrate on taking good aim.

On clear days, good signal mirrors can reflect light to targets that are too far away for you to see. If you see no potential rescuers, flash the entire breadth of the horizon; there may be someone out there who will see the signal.