[pbb]

On the safety gear front. I don't think anyone has mentioned a compass yet. You can get something fairly cheap, as long as it is waterproof. Basically a plastic encased compass zipper pull on your pfd. If the fog rolls in and your electronics (phone, GPS) happen to die, you want to know which way is to shore. And you want it on your pfd, because you want to know you are going in the right direction that much more if you end up having to swim for shore.