For Boaters an EPIRB is the best beacon to have, they are designed for the rough and tough life of living on a boat and the abuse that comes with boating. They are also designed to work best while floating in the water and will transmit for twice as long as Personal Locator Beacons. PLBs are a great beacon, especially if you do any boating by yourself or while alone on deck, but they are predominantly considered in the marine industry as a back up to an EPIRB.