Flares

[Dirtofak]

Where can a person buy flares in the valley? I am tired of seeing flares with only a couple months left on them and they still want full price.

[FL2AK-Old Town]

Where can a person buy flares in the valley? I am tired of seeing flares with only a couple months left on them and they still want full price.

Wal Mart (I hate to say it) usually has a pretty decent boating section. Bass Pro Shops will be selling the gun and aerial flare kit for almost $20 off during its grand opening. I didn't realize the problem you are having existed. You have a good eye for detail.

[T.R. Bauer]

Like you, the first thing I look for on the package of flares is the day the expire. I have seen some still on the shelf that are nearly expired in the spring many times before. I would suspect Sportsman's and Walmart sell enough that their stock of flares is fresh.

Where can a person buy flares in the valley? I am tired of seeing flares with only a couple months left on them and they still want full price.

[JR2]

I got my new flares last month at West Marine, 2017 expiration.

[yanert]

Thank goodness the 4th is just around the corner I have a large bin of out off date flares to celebrate with and I'll be out in an area few if any will see....:topjob:

[Daveinthebush]

Just remember that if anyone does see, they are obligated to respond to your distress under Maritime Law. :shot:

[kodiakrain]

Yanert, I am not so sure you can get away with that, as tempting as it may seem,...

I've asked the CG guys about setting old ones off for training exercise for my boys,... just show them how they work, etc.
Seems it was almost impossible to do it legally,...

I say "It Seems,..." as it has been a while since I asked,
I just remember the frustration of taking them off the boat with no use whatsoever.
They also do not want to see expired ones on a boat,...
(that might be a commercial deal, but the idea is sound, nobody grabs an old one)

Sure seems there oughta be a designated day, now and then when you could do that,...
might be worth asking your local USCG Safety detachment folks
They will certainly not be happy about any false alarms, out on the water though

[Garyak]

I like the idea of designated days or training times as Kodiakrain suggests. The C.G. Aux fellow that did my safety check told me to keep my expired flares for back up. I keep them in a waterproof container adjacent to my flare gun and unexpired flares. So it may be a commercial vs recreational thing...or maybe he was just giving me some practical advice. If I needed to use flares, I would shoot the old ones first but only if I was in a situation where I wasn't in grave danger.

[Daveinthebush]

I had about a dozen in the boat at one time and none with the correct date. CG inspected me and said that with that many flares on board, one of them had to go off. End of inspection. :topjob:

[BrownBear]

Coupla three things:

I used to do flare training and more for a living and we did about everything "wrong" you could list. Set fires on shore with parachute flares, got burned here and there, darned near wiped out a student or two, and caused general mayhem for the rescue agencies. Think the Duck Dynasty boys or Red Green playing with fire....

Setting aside a day for pyro play creates a day when someone actually in trouble could get ignored because anyone seeing the show will think "drill."

We notified everyone before a drill- called every agency on the phone beforehand, put out PONPONs, put notices in the paper. That accounted for the agencies and anyone listening to VHF, but not the 1,342,348 people who saw our flares and dutifully called the agencies. It's even easier to overload a 911 system than a web site.

Old flares misbehave. It would be fine if they simply quit working, but it's the in-between things that get people hurt and start burning stuff that shouldn't be burned. We've had parachute flares go out 100', do a 180, then come right back at us doing about Mach III. We've had them explode about a foot out from the launchers. They'll commonly make 90 degree turns in midair. It can be calm at the surface and 200' up you have winds blowing strong enough to carry them a quarter mile or so, landing them still burning on lotsa stuff. We've had them stick in the firing tubes and burn the carp out of the guy handling them, even with gloves on. And it's not just the aerial. You oughta see what happens when a hand flare decides to play firecracker or a smoke flare decides it would rather burn fast than smoke. Sounds kinda entertaining, and it is after the fact in a Three Stooges kinda way. But your troubles are just starting if you have a real accident, and that outdated flare misbehaves.

You want to really cause some mayhem?

Just ask the Coast Guard or any other agency what to do with your expired pyro! Talk about a bunch of shucking and jiving! If there's not a legal and official disposal site in your town, you're hosed.

[AKBassking]

Sportsman Warehouse?

You can contact the USCG, fill out a form (They will do it for you sometimes) and you can hold a expired flare class. Easy. I do it every year for our yacht club. Not so easy if you don't contact the USCG.......just say'in:topjob:

[kodiakrain]

I used to do flare training,...

Setting aside a day for pyro play creates a day when someone actually in trouble could get ignored because anyone seeing the show will think "drill."
,... accounted for the agencies and anyone listening to VHF, but not the 1,342,348 people who saw our flares and dutifully called the agencies.

Old flares misbehave,... .

Good Post BrownBear,...
I had a feeling that might be the story,...
Thanks