This post is about a hand held radio by ICOM, the IC-M72 (Follow this link for the PDF Manual). Hand held radio are certainly plentiful on the market, but most company have not yet put their full attention to detail and quality. After all, for most mariners, a hand held is barely good enough to communicate with the inside of the boat when you are on the deck, but those devises are not regarded as real safety or communication devices.
From a sea kayaker point of view, things are of course a little different…. the hand held becomes our link to our precious Weather Forecast on trips, the most reliable way of keeping in touch when the group separates, and ultimately our last resource to call for help (unless you carry an EPIRB or PLB).
Some radios offer an incredible power source necessary to receive signals and transmit. Some float, some are waterproof, and some last for years even thought they are used daily.
Many professional in the sea kayak industry (guides and instructors) rely on ICOM VHF radio. The waterproofing is amazing (which does not mean it will never fail but I know of a few people that have own the same radio for 5 to 7 years and have the device in the salt-water at least once every time they go out, about 150 time a year!). I wear mine on my PFD and simply rinse it out when I get back home, the sound is perfect, and it comes with a number of options that are quite handy (Dual channel monitoring, microphone drainage system to communicate after the radio has been submerged…).
Quite often we like to talk about the down fall of our gear, and don’t get me wrong, things happen. But I have had many days of good relation with my radio, I rely on it and it hasn’t let me down. And the guys at Way Point Marine in Sidney always have the best prices and the best service.

Related links:
- ICOM website: icomcanada.com
- Communication Devices: activeseakayaking
- Dealers on Vancouver Islands: Way Point Marine