We rent satellite communication units and GPS navigational devices for customers traveling all over the world. One of the devices we rent, the SPOT Messenger, is also used as a "tracker" for competitive events, such as canoe and other non-motorized watercraft races. Whether for an event running down the Mississippi River in canoes, or off the coast of Florida in kayaks, the SPOT offers a great way for race coordinators to be aware of each participant's position on the course, and to also detect if someone possibly needs assistance. For the participant, it offers the peace of mind of being able to seek assistance, even if outside of cell phone range.

If you are entering an event as a participant, simply rent the device through our normal checkout, starting at this link to the SPOT product description page. You can choose to use all of its features, or just the minimal amount that the coordinator is going to want, which is usually just the device's "ESN" number, found inside the battery compartment; plus, the "Shared Page" URL feed, a long, unique web page address that you can easily create under your online profile. We'll send you the easy instructions on how to do setup the device how you want it, and see this informative video on using the SPOT in a canoe-racing event. Keep in mind the SPOT requires a fairly clean line-of-sight to the sky, so it won't work inside a hatch, for example. Mount it to the hull for best results, but make sure it's on tight!

If you are a canoe or kayak race organizer and are recommending or requiring your event participants to carry a tracker while on the water, then you can simply direct them to the link above, or, become our direct customer and you can distribute to participants under whatever arrangement works best for you - usually assigned for an additional cost beyond the entry fee. Please note all of our units are on separate accounts, so if your goal is to be able to see the location of all racers on a single screen at the same time, you'll need the services from a third party that has the specialized software. We don't offer that service, but we can direct you to a couple of companies that work with - just give us a call. To see an example of how the rented SPOT devices are tracked as a group, see our explanatory video on using the SPOT as a race coordinator for a canoe race.

Whether you wish to rent a single SPOT as a canoe race or event participant, or rent several dozen in bulk as an event coordinator, feel free to give us a call for more information on how we can help.