I don't know for sure, but I suspect you could end up in some trouble if you used the strobe all the time. It's designed to aid in search and rescue. Continuous use just for visibility could be construed as misuse I suspect.

Personally, when doing night stuff on the water, I do not like anything that puts light in my eyes. Between the spots it puts in my vision, and the constriction of my pupils... Well, you get the point. I'm not doing anyone any favors when I'm boating blind because of my own lights.

I personally wouldn't use a marker strobe as Mark has suggested. Between possible missuse hassles from the Coastguard and other boaters (I, and any other boater I can think of, sure would respond to seeing a strobe floating in the water, and be quite ticked to find it on a perfectly ok paddling kayaker), and having it flashing in my own eyes, and not being as intense as a flashcube for attention getting, I don't think it would be good. A camera strobe I wouldn't like either. Batteries have to be good, you have to wait for it to charge up for each flash, and your probably as likely to flash it in your own eyes as at an oncoming boat when fumbling around.

While waving a flashlight around, or aiming it directly at a person is good for making them see you, it's limited to times that the person is right there, and paying something akin to attention. Same by and large a life jacket strobe. I like the flash cube idea because it's an odd color light, very intensely penetrating, and easy to use. I think, though I do not know for sure, that an oblivious boater is more likely to notice a flash cube going off nearby then a flashlight waving around or being pointed at them. I would also be yelling, screaming blowing a whistle, on the horn or any other noisy thing I've got. As well taking evasive action. But that's just me.

> When does one use the strobes?