It's not too early to get your
gear together. The race does not have an entry fee, but does have the
requirement for rescue communications to be carried with you in case you get
into trouble. We do not have any rescue facilities other than calling the
police, a tow service, sailing out to help, or coast guard all of which
would be difficult or impossible to arrange if we can't communicate with or
find you. I recommend a waterproof case for your cell phone that you
can use without removing it from the case. That's what I'll be carrying,
as I do every time I sail offshore.
AquaPac cases, http://www.aquapac.net/usstore/erol.html are
the best I've found and can be purchased locally from Adventure Sports
Miami.
For the past couple years,
I have been using an alternative DryPak phone case. They are a
little thinner, cheaper, and more prone to tears than Aquapac, but they
work well if you are careful. They make them for flat smart phones of
various sizes and folding phones. (I don't recommend texting while
racing!) The link below shows several styles including folding & smart
phones (including iPhone).
Here's my phone in the
case:
If you order online or visit
Adventure
Sports Miami soon you'll have it plenty of
time.
Both cases offer a similar seal
and don't let any water into the case. I always squeeze the case after
inserting the phone into it so that I can confirm that it is waterproof and
won't leak when I get in the water. I've been doing this for several years
and have not damaged my phone carrying it with me. You can use the phone
in the case with no issues as sound and signal pass right through the case
material.
If you do not want to carry your
primary phone in a bag, I would suggest carrying your deactivated and charged
old phone as they are required by law to connect with 911.
Please take care of this so you
aren't scrambling at the last minute or discouraged from participating in the
race on race day.
Also of importance is checking
your gear. Fix or replace any questionable items in your kit. A
broken line, loose footstrap, universal joint, harness hook or webbing are all
problems on the water when you are several miles offshore. The Port
Everglades channel marker is 2½ miles offshore and risk is compounded
further if there is offshore wind. Even on a sunny day things can
change with a rain squall and switching offshore gale force winds which I have
personally experienced more than once. You don't want to invite
trouble. Get the phone case and double check your gear so you can
race with peace of mind and have a great i-to-i experience.
Check www.i-to-i.org for notice of race, rules, updates, personal recounts from past races,
photos, gps logs, and more.
Good luck,
Ron
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