Whenever you go paddling, you should always carry a means of contacting the emergency services. The equipment you should carry depends on the environment.
On the river I always carry a fully charged mobile ‘phone. Don’t rely on others in the group carrying a ‘phone. Even if your ‘phone is ‘waterproof’ I recommend keeping it in a waterproof case (I speak from bitter experience!). As a Paddle UK (BC) member you get 30% off all Aquapac products: https://aquapac.net/ I prefer a bespoke case made by Punk Case which makes the ‘phone much easier to use and see the screen: https://www.punkcases.co.uk/ I also suggest attaching a lanyard. You can then keep the ‘phone in a BA pocket or around your neck and tucked neatly under your BA.
If there is an emergency, call 999. On most ‘phones there is a quick way of calling emergency services. This varies depending on the make of ‘phone you have so it’s worth checking
Apple: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/104992
Android (method varies depending on make): https://support.google.com/android/answer/9319337?hl=en-GB#zippy=%2Cuse-emergency-sos-to-call-for-help-alert-your-contacts-and-record-videos%2Cuse-the-personal-safety-app
Samsung: https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00050849/
You should always keep your ‘phone switched on during your paddle so that you can make a quick call if necessary. It will also allow emergency services to triangulate your position.
There are some apps which it worth installing:
What3words: https://what3words.com/ is useful. This allows you to indicate your exact location to emergency services by quoting the 3 words. The one potential problem with what3words are that the words are open to misinterpretation, so make sure that you communicate them as clearly as possible, spelling if necessary.
Not related to calling the emergency services, I also use the British Red Cross app which gives you useful first aid information.
For sea kayaking or paddling on the tidal Thames (particularly the lower reaches), I always carry a VHF radio. You can broadcast a ‘MAYDAY’ or ‘PAN-PAN’ on VHF channel 16 or the London VTS channel (Channel 14 from Crayfordness to Teddington). Note that you can only use a VHF radio if you have taken the VHF Short Range Certificate (SRC). For sea kayakers, I strongly advise going for this qualification.
On the sea I also always carry a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) or a satellite communicator (I also use these for hiking in very remote areas). Note that a PLB needs to be registered. A PLB communicates directly with a satellite network when you press the emergency button. A satellite communicator also allows you to communicate with emergency services by satellite but has the advantage over the PLB in that communication is 2 way i.e. you can communicate with your rescuers. It also allows you to communicate with anyone via text where you don’t have a mobile ‘phone signal. The satellite communicator I use is the Garmin Inreach mini2: https://www.garmin.com/en-GB/p/765374 Worth it’s weight in gold in my opinion.
