Even with increases in nationwide cellular coverage range, there are still areas that are completely out of range, and those may include some of your favorite fishing and boating areas around the state. If your boat were to break down or any other emergency arise deep in the Everglades or 50 miles offshore, what could you do? There are times when the old VHF antenna-on-a-pushpole just won’t work. How can you attain line-of-sight when mangroves tower 30 feet into the sky? And of course, being far offshore, neither cell nor VHF is likely to get you in touch with the world.

The solution is a satellite phone, which depends on satellites circling the globe to provide coverage worldwide, similar to the way GPS satellites aid navigation. These have been around for years but the prices were astronomical, so to speak. Now, they’re becoming reasonably affordable and consequently a lot more useful to the average angler or boater.

Satellite service was specifically engineered to use in remote outdoors locations where there is no type of phone service. A satellite phone works in much the same way as a cellular except that you must be outside in an unobstructed area with ample visibility to the sky in order to attain line-of-sight to the satellites—again, think of GPS. The phones are similar to cell phones but generally larger, and they have larger antennas—they’re not designed to go in your pocket. Most have removable batteries, or can run from a DC adapter to your boat’s cigarette lighter socket.

The best known companies in the industry are Globalstar, Iridium and Inmarsat. Of the three, Iridium is the only system capable of worldwide coverage, consequently making it a bit more expensive. A handheld unit goes for around $1,495, but if you’re a boater who frequents The Bahamas or beyond then it is probably smart investing the few extra dollars. Iridium units use a constellation of 66 satellites and offer incoming messaging up to 120 characters. Iridium’s complete coverage means you will be able to stay in contact through phone, pager and even e-mail anywhere and at anytime. Programs start at about $32 a month, with zero minutes and airtime of about $1.49 per minute.

Inmarsat is not quite global, but provides coverage from 70 degrees north latitude to 70 degrees south—way more than you need for any Florida-based adventure. However, the company primarily targets the shipping industry, and they use large antennas (up to 5 feet across) and are fairly pricey, at $2,000 and up, so are generally not the preferred choice for small boats.