Re: Marine CB or VHF?
Forget the CB. At one time there were a lot of CB's on the water, but that is not the case anymore. Suppose they are alright if you want to chat between you and your buddies, but can do the same with the FRS radios or cell phones. That being said, everyone should consider having a VHF radio on board, especially now that you can get a hand held for around $100.
Sorry but did not read where you are from, so not sure if a VHF radio course is manditory, however it is a good idea to take one. There are calling and talking channels, all which will be covered in your local course, however do not hog the frequency for hours on end discussing trivial matters, that is what you cell phone is for.
Some main advantages of VHF are:
The Coast Guard monitors channel 16, they also have direction finding equipments that is very good at pinpointing location in the event of an emergency.
Other boaters maintain a watch on the VHF, and can render assistance if needed.
New Digital VHF equipment can me tied in with GPS, even an inexperienced radio operator can hit the emergency button and send a distress signal with location.
You will recieve broadcasts with warnings such as weather or navigational hazzards.
You can listen in and find out where the fish are.
As for cell phones, they are great, but depending on where you are, coverage may be limited.
