EPIRB requirements in Queensland: when you need one, registration, batteries and PLBs

An EPIRB is compulsory more than 2 nautical miles out, beyond partially smooth waters

You can go up to 2 nautical miles from land without an EPIRB, and anywhere in smooth or partially smooth waters without one. Once you're beyond partially smooth waters and more than 2 nautical miles from land, Queensland law requires a 406 MHz EPIRB on your boat that meets AS/NZS 4280.1 and is registered with AMSA. Sections 9 and 10 of the Transport Operations (Marine Safety) Regulation 2016 set the rule. Maritime Safety Queensland's EPIRB bulletin puts it plainly: all boats and PWCs operating beyond those waters must carry one when they're more than 2 nautical miles out.

An EPIRB (emergency position indicating radio beacon) is a small electronic device. Switch it on in a life-threatening situation and it sends a distress signal that satellites pick up, so search and rescue authorities can find you. MSQ says EPIRBs are built to transmit for at least 48 hours once activated.

The 2 nautical mile and partially smooth waters limits are the legal floor, though. Nothing stops you carrying a beacon closer in.

On the Sunshine Coast, the rivers and Pumicestone Passage are smooth waters and the open ocean isn't

Where the line falls depends on how the regulation maps the water. Its dictionary says smooth waters include rivers, creeks, streams and lakes, waters inside breakwaters, and the areas listed in schedule 8. That takes in the Noosa, Maroochy and Mooloolah rivers.

Schedule 8 also lists the water between the mainland and the western shore of Bribie Island, up to the island's northern tip. That's the Pumicestone Passage, so the passage at Golden Beach is smooth water too.

The open ocean is different. Schedule 7 (partially smooth waters) and schedule 8 each list set areas around Queensland, and none of them sits off Caloundra, Mooloolaba or Noosa. Read that way, once you're on the open ocean you're in waters the EPIRB rule covers, and the beacon becomes compulsory when you're more than 2 nautical miles from land. Not sure about a particular stretch? Check with Maritime Safety Queensland before you head out.

Your EPIRB must be 406 MHz, meet AS/NZS 4280.1 and be registered to your boat

Section 10 of the regulation sets four tests for the beacon itself. It must operate on 406 MHz. It must comply with AS/NZS 4280.1:2003, the standard for marine EPIRBs. It must be registered for the boat by the owner or master. And that registration has to be up to date.

Up to date has a set meaning. If any of the registered details change, such as your phone number, address, alternative contact or boat, you have 14 days to tell the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). Miss that window and the beacon no longer meets the rule, even though it still works.

Older beacons are a trap. AMSA says 121.5 MHz distress beacons are no longer detected, so an old analogue unit in the shed won't help you. Buying overseas has its own catch. AMSA warns that beacons from Canada or the USA don't meet the Australian Standard and can't be registered here, and other overseas beacons need re-programming with the Australian country code first.

Registering with AMSA is free, and you must carry proof

AMSA says you must register a beacon once you've bought it, and registration is free. You can do it online through AMSA's beacon registration system or by calling 1800 406 406.

Have these ready. Your name, address and phone number, plus an email address for the online account. The beacon's Hex ID or UIN, a 15-character code printed on the label. The manufacturer and model. The name and phone number of at least one person who can act as a 24-hour emergency contact. AMSA also recommends adding your boat's details.

Once you're registered, AMSA sends a confirmation by SMS or email. Keep it. You must carry proof of registration during a safety equipment inspection, and AMSA says you may be fined if you can't show it. A saved SMS, a saved email or a printout all work.

MSQ's July 2014 EPIRB bulletin says registration must be renewed every two years, so check your account's status online and don't let it lapse. Buying or selling a second-hand beacon? Both seller and buyer must update the details.

EPIRB batteries last about 5 to 10 years, and the printed expiry date is the legal limit

Look at the label: every 406 MHz beacon carries its battery expiry date there, and AMSA puts typical battery life at somewhere between 5 and 10 years. Under section 25 of the regulation, a required EPIRB only counts if that date is legible and hasn't passed, the beacon is in good working order, and it's been serviced by the manufacturer or its authorised service agent as the manufacturer requires.

In other words, an expired beacon on board doesn't count as carrying one. Before the date comes up, AMSA gives you two options: buy a new beacon with GPS, or contact the manufacturer about a battery replacement and service. Stick with the manufacturer or its authorised agent. AMSA warns that a battery replaced or serviced by a non-certified service centre leaves the beacon non-compliant, and it may not work properly.

Used it in a real emergency? Get the battery replaced, because it may be run down and the beacon may be damaged. Testing costs battery too. Follow the manufacturer's self-test instructions and keep tests occasional, because AMSA notes that over-testing drains the battery.

EPIRB or PLB: a boat needs the EPIRB, a jet ski can use a qualifying PLB

A personal locator beacon (PLB) is the smaller cousin of the EPIRB. AMSA says PLBs are designed to be worn or carried by individuals rather than vehicles. Its beacon table lists at least 24 hours of transmission for a PLB, against 48 hours for an EPIRB.

For a boat in Queensland, section 10 names the marine EPIRB standard, AS/NZS 4280.1. PLBs are built to a different standard, AS4280.2, and AMSA notes that in some cases PLBs don't meet carriage requirements for boats heading more than 2 nautical miles from the coast. So for a boat going offshore, buy the EPIRB.

Jet skis are the exception. MSQ's jet ski safety equipment sheet, MSQ-311, lets a rider use a PLB instead of an EPIRB if it complies with AS4280.2, is GPS-enabled, floats or sits in a floating pouch, and is registered with AMSA. Check MSQ's current jet ski rules on how the PLB has to be worn before you rely on one. The jet ski rules guide covers the rest of that gear list.

Whichever you buy, AMSA recommends GPS. It also suggests wearing a PLB as well as an EPIRB, in case the main beacon is damaged.

Stow your EPIRB in its bracket or a grab bag, where it's easy to reach

AMSA and MSQ give the same answer on where an EPIRB belongs on a boat: in its mounting bracket, where it's visible and easy to grab in an emergency, or in a grab bag with your flares, a torch or strobe and other safety gear.

Match the spot to the beacon. Some EPIRBs switch on by themselves if they get wet after leaving the bracket. MSQ says water-activated EPIRBs should always sit correctly in their brackets. If you plan to keep yours in a grab bag or out of a bracket, buy a manually operated model.

AMSA's storage advice lists what to keep the beacon away from: anything that could knock the activation switch, magnetic sources like radio speakers and microphones, high-pressure water sprays, and kids who might play with it. Don't store it somewhere hot. When the boat's not in use, lock it away or keep it out of sight so it doesn't walk off.

Wearing a PLB? AMSA says fit it near the shoulder of your lifejacket, so the aerial has a clear line to the sky.

Set it off only in grave and imminent danger, and try 000 or your radio first

AMSA says two-way contact by phone or radio is the most effective way to call for help, because rescuers can confirm they've heard you, find out what's wrong and send the right help. In Australia, call 000, or 112 on a satellite phone. If you can't reach anyone that way and you're facing grave and imminent danger, meaning a threat to life, activate the beacon.

On the water, tie the EPIRB by its lanyard to a person, the boat or a life raft. Never tie it to anything that will sink. It's designed to float upright in the water, so keep your body off it and the aerial pointing at the sky. Don't switch it off until rescue services tell you to. In a group, AMSA says activate no more than two beacons.

Set it off by mistake? Switch it off straight away and call AMSA on 1800 641 792, so a search and rescue operation doesn't start. There's no penalty for an accidental activation.

Never put an old EPIRB in the bin

A beacon thrown out with the rubbish can switch itself on at the tip. AMSA says thousands of dollars are spent in Australia every year searching rubbish dumps for beacons, and the search crews and equipment tied up doing it aren't free for real emergencies. Beacon batteries are hazardous waste as well.

AMSA gives three ways to get rid of one. Ask your local battery store whether it disconnects and disposes of beacons, and a small fee may apply. Ask your local maritime safety agency for disposal advice. Or follow the manufacturer's instructions to disconnect the battery, then ask your local waste facility how to dispose of the beacon.

Then tell AMSA. Update your online registration account or call 1800 406 406, with the Hex ID handy. Do the same if the beacon is lost, stolen or sold. MSQ explains why it matters: if AMSA isn't told and a new owner sets the beacon off, the rescue is delayed while AMSA contacts the last registered owner.

Learning the safety gear rules on the Sunshine Coast

Safety equipment is part of the BoatSafe course. Our Boat Licence course is priced from $329, with online theory before your practical day on sheltered water at Golden Beach in Caloundra, Maroochydore or Noosaville. You cover the rules of the water, navigation marks, safety equipment and right of way. If you'll ride a jet ski too, the Boat & Jet Ski Combo covers both licence courses in one day.

Those training waters are rivers and the Pumicestone Passage, which are smooth waters, so an EPIRB isn't required there. Going offshore is the bigger step. Before your first trip more than 2 nautical miles out, buy the beacon, register it, and run through the rest of the offshore gear in the Queensland boating rules guide. Lifejacket levels for open water are in the life jacket rules guide. When you're ready, pick a day from the course dates.

Training delivered by Australian Boating College, RTO #3399.