A fresh consultation has been launched on proposals to make search and rescue response to incidents at sea involving Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) in the UK more efficient and effective.
The consultation involves updates drafted by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency that include bringing PLBs under the same regulations that already cover Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs). As well as delivering maritime search and rescue through the Coastguard, the MCA is responsible for regulation, safety and counter-pollution.
PLBs broadcast a diver’s location on the same 406MHz frequency as bigger EPIRBs but are designed to be worn on the body rather than on a vessel or life-raft, and always have to be manually activated. Many scuba divers carry them as a safety precaution in case of boat separation.
The proposed changes require users to register free of charge current and new PLBs with the MCA online, if they are carried on any UK-flagged powered vessel. When a PLB is activated the Coastguard is able to use the details supplied, such as position and emergency contacts, to gain information needed to support rescue efforts.
False alarms
If all PLBs and EPIRBs are registered false alarms can be traced more efficiently, says the MCA, helping to avoid rescue teams being sent into potentially dangerous conditions unnecessarily. The devices can be registered here.
“Just 15 minutes spent registering a PLB online could make all the difference to being found and recovered safely from a life-threatening situation,” says UK distress and security beacon registry manager Linda Goulding.
“These proposals would require action by anyone using a current or new PLB on an applicable vessel, so we are consulting again for four weeks to make sure everyone gets a chance to have their say.”
Find out more about the issues at the new consultation site. Responses should be emailed to radio@mcga.gov.uk by 9 November, 2025.
The original consultation was launched in late 2024, as announced on Divernet, which also posted a guide to the best PLBs for divers recently.
The article is slightly misleading because the link referenced is for the 406Mhz registry, whereas the image shows a diver holding a Nautilus Lifeline, which isn’t a PLB in the true sense, in that it doesn’t connect with satellites via 406Mhz. It uses VHF and AIS. These can’t be registered in the same way that, say, a ResQ Link or a McMurdo FastFind can be registered. At least that’s how I understand it.