Corpusfishing.com

[bulldog1935]

If you want a VHF/GPS/DSC radio for your kayak, it's not only a great idea to register for an MMSI - it's required - it's also free.
https://www.usps.org/php/mmsi_new/rules.php
With it, the radio and hull are forever married, and the MMSI number has to be transferred to any new owner along with the hull and radio.
With GPS/DSC, you can find your friends by their MMSI on your GPS - with DSC you can set up private/scrambled channels - and any craft with DSC/AIM can locate you during an All Ships Discress Call.



Several times every year, we follow threads and news reports of abandoned kayaks found, and the USGS has to go on a hunt for a missing kayaker.
Of course sometimes, they are tragic events. More often, boats blow and drift away.

You actually don't need the radio to obtain an MMSI certificate - just register your hull.
You are required to have a cell phone number to obtain an MMSI.
With it, the Coast Guard can access from their database your identity, and whatever contact information you provided in your MMSI registration.
(you can also on-line edit your information).
Of course if you add the DSC radio, you must program in your MMSI hull number.

Also easy to print MMSI number and epoxy it to the inside of a hatch cover - the first place the Coast Guard would look in an abandoned kayak trying to find identification of the missing boater.
Then they call you on your cell phone, in most cases, saving them a search-and-rescue sortie.
Or contacting your 1st and 2nd emergency contacts you included in your registration.