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If you want to talk to other people out on the water anything that is waterproof will do. If you want to call for a rescue than get a VHF that has GPS and DSC functions. The DSC enables your ID and exact location to be sent to rescuers with the push of a button. If adds $100 to the cost for a total cost of $225 for radios like the Standard Horizon HX851 or the Icom M92D at $238 (when I bought mine). It is not the place to try to save $100 for a purchase that is may save your life and is going to be used for years.
Most boaters are clueless when it comes to how to read a GPS and provide their location properly over the radio. A boater did this last summer off Newport beach and it took the rescue/tow boat an additional 8 hours to find them as they had provided their location incorrectly. The difference between decimal minutes and seconds can be 8 to 13 miles difference in location.
For search and rescue the international standard is to read Degrees, Decimal Minutes (DD, MM.mm). For example:
When speaking Latitude and Longitude coordinates for
39° 36.06' N by 76° 51.42' W stated as:
“Three nine degrees, three six decimal zero six minutes North by seven six degrees, five one decimal four two minutes West.”
The words, “degrees,” “minutes,” and “decimal” must be spoken. Decimal denotes the decimal point "." in the string of numbers.
OR you can buy a VHF radio with a DSC button.
I also like redundancy so having a GPS and compass with the VHF radio in addition to the fish finder plotter is appealing.
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