Ham Radio for Kayakers and Paddlers: Waterproof Your Comms

Radios and Water Do Not Mix — Unless You Plan Ahead

Kayaking with a radio sounds like a terrible idea — until you learn the waterproofing tricks that keep your gear dry. Here is how to safely take ham radio on the water.

Waterproofing Your Radio — 3 Methods

Method Protection Cost
Dry Bag IPX8 — fully submersible $10-15
Waterproof Case Hard shell, floats $15-25
Ziploc + Silica Gel Splash only $1

Paddling Radio Setup

  • Radio in dry bag with antenna poking out the top
  • Earpiece: Keeps the radio inside the bag while you listen
  • Float strap: If it goes overboard, it floats
  • Spare battery: In a separate dry bag — redundancy

When Radio Saves You on the Water

  • Sudden weather change — NOAA alert warns you before the storm hits
  • Separated from your group — call on simplex, no cell needed
  • Emergency — call for help on 146.520 or marine Ch 16 (RX only)

UV-K1(8) with earpiece →

Retour au blog