# EPIRBS: DOn't hold your breath

**URL:** <https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/epirbs-dont-hold-your-breath/12590>\
**Category:** Professional Mariner Forum\
**Created:** [May 2, 2014, 8:08am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/epirbs-dont-hold-your-breath/12590 "2014-05-02T08:08:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![skycowboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@skycowboy](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/skycowboy)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 8:08am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/epirbs-dont-hold-your-breath/12590/1 "2014-05-02T08:08:28Z")

</div>

I came across this Coast Guard test report of EPIRBS. It appears some may only work under calm sea’s clear sky conditions and the Regulators have made no effort to set any type of acceptable standard for them to actually do what you buy them for.

[http://www.equipped.org/406\_GPS\_beacon\_test\_report\_2004.pdf](http://www.equipped.org/406_GPS_beacon_test_report_2004.pdf)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Bayrunner](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/bayrunner/32/966_2.png) [@Bayrunner](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Bayrunner)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 9:27am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/epirbs-dont-hold-your-breath/12590/2 "2014-05-02T09:27:35Z")

</div>

Well thats wonderful.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![powerabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@powerabout](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/powerabout)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 11:31am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/epirbs-dont-hold-your-breath/12590/3 "2014-05-02T11:31:45Z")

</div>

What happened to the epirb on flight 370

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![skycowboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@skycowboy](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/skycowboy)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 11:57am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/epirbs-dont-hold-your-breath/12590/4 "2014-05-02T11:57:08Z")

</div>

I don’t know if the carried an EPIRB but they were required to carry an ELT but they don’t work under water

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jetryder223](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Jetryder223](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Jetryder223)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 7:04pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/epirbs-dont-hold-your-breath/12590/5 "2014-05-02T19:04:48Z")

</div>

Perhaps a better title for this thread would be ‘EPIRGS - How long can you hold your breath?’