Yes, get one. Submersable vhf's are better for your use. I wear mine on my jacket for easy access. And a cell phone in a zip lock somewhere on me also as back up. It's going to be to late when you need one and the boat is upside down and the radio is in a bag tied to the tramp! Actually The two times I was in distress last year I used the cell phone as primary communication because the signal is clearer- the coasties ask me to call them because the wind was like 20+ at the time(they could hardly hear me thru the background noise) and being so close to the water the signal wasn't that strong.