"Brian Whatcott" wrote

A strobe is so much more visible than any LED that this has to be a
good pick.

So, what's "more visible" got to do with it? The LED strobes are visible
for much farther than anyone is going to swim and more than the search
radius of a boat that can be turned back almost instantly under all
conditions. This isn't a pole intended to guide aircraft into a 10 mile
search box.

If I start carrying spinnakers at night, I probably will add a standard
strobe to the MOB package or build a similar pole with the same bulbs and
circuitry as in the floating strobes.

I have strobes for the individual lifejackets. I would prefer to have the
brightest light on the PIW. If the PIW can't make it to the MOB pole, I
don't want that to be the brightest thing out there distracting and ruining
night vison while the PIW is a couple hundred feet away with maybe just a
lightstick.

The light on the pole is just to help the PIW get to it in the dark. It's
plenty bright enough for that. If they don't get to it, it isn't going to
be much use.

--
Roger Long