ResQFlare Electronic Distress E-Flare and Flag, USCG Approved Replacement for Pyrotechnic Flares - ACR 3966

Does what it says, seems well made, easy to use

I purchased this for inshore kayaking as part of my emergency kit. Is it required by state or USCG? No. But it’s a small, relatively inexpensive thing to have. Of note, this comes with a distress flag, but no batteries. I would love to see lithium batteries available for this as alkaline batteries all leak with time so I’m a bit nervous about that, perhaps in he future a lithium ion version will be available. I was hoping this would fit in a pelican 1060 dry box, unfortunately it’s just a bit too large in diameter but I’ll make it work. I also have an ACR strobe on my PFD, glad a major manufacturer is making these now. Switch is easy enough to turn but also takes a deliberate effort, which reduces risk of accidental use and not being available when needed.

Much better than buying flares and checking expiration dates every season. Also what to do with expired flares of which I have many? Works great and very bright utilizing C rated batteries which are fairly common.

In description it says 20 hours of operation. In the manual it says only 3 hours.

great alternative to expired flares

Another brand is the Amazon recommended for this type of USGS approved pyrotechnic replacement. While I haven't owned any other brand, most of the reviews of the commonly recommended device mention that it's pretty dim, and it's also usually more expensive than the ACR ResQFlare. The ACR "flare" is super bright; blindingly so. I have no question it would be able to be seen for miles. The flag (day signal) is also a lot nicer than any of the others that I've had; it even came with ties, ready to hoist. It seems well made, and is intuitive enough to use. It might be a little hard to twist on for someone with weak hands, but that's my only complaint. It's still an expensive bit of gear for what it is, but I am sure part of that is paying for the certification process. It's not often that I feel like I got an okay value when talking about a specialized bit of boat gear, but this might be an exception.

Easy to use. Takes 2 C batteries. It's a bit pricey for what it as, as they all are for a coast guard approved SOS light. I picked this one from the others as it's more sized like a flashlight. The others were much more bulky. I made a "coast guard" package for the boat with all the requirements in like a small lunch bag which fit everything perfectly.

Great alternative for a un-inspected vessel

Works as expected. Feel much safer on the water.

Perfectly as described Works well

The ACR ResQFlare met my expectations. It is light weight and very bright.

I was tired of having to replace expired flares on the boat. This doesn’t expire and meets USCG Regs.

works well but is only a flasshing light