Clarification of Rule 5 - SPOT Trackers

Now that we have secured a supply of SPOT Trackers sufficient for the ride, Rule 5 has been updated. You will not need to hire, or own, a PLB or EPIRB but you are required to carry a SPOT Tracker. These will be available to hire for the duration of the ride (at cost, no profit will be made) to riders. If you have your own SPOT we will have a form online to capture details to allow you to use it with Trackleaders.com

Along with periodic updates to allow rider tracking, the SPOT Tracker has emergency notification capability as well. We will require emergency contact details for each rider and pursuant to Rule 5, you agree to cover costs, if incurred, in any subsequent rescue. This is standard NZ Search and Rescue policy. Note: in a genuine emergency cost recovery is not the norm.

SPOT Trackers differ from PLBs or EPIRBs. The emergency notification is sent directly to a Search and Rescue Service, however the SPOT also provides additional contact notification options (buttons).

SPOT Buttons

The SOS button is highest priority (equivalent to a 111 call). However you can cancel a message if you feel the situation is not as bad as first thought and send an OK message. An EPIRB however cannot be cancelled (at least until the helicopter arrives). Both have their advantages but for the purposes of the Brevet the SPOT Tracker is sufficient if you are aware of it's limitations.