Free Safety Tools
Fish safer with a free float plan.
A float plan is the simplest safety step on the water: tell someone where you're going and when you'll be back. MyFishingBuds files one in about a minute, shares a live GPS tracking link, and flags your trip if you're overdue — the whole safety stack is free, forever, and never paywalled. The U.S. Coast Guard recommends a float plan for every trip.
How the float plan works
File your float plan
Fill in your route, return time, vessel, and emergency contact in about a minute — before you leave the dock.
Share a live tracking link
Send someone ashore a live GPS link so they can follow your trip and know exactly where you are.
Get overdue check-in alerts
If you’re not back by your return time, the app flags it and reminds you to check in so a late return doesn’t go unnoticed.
One-tap SOS
Hit SOS to flag an emergency and share your last known location — and your float plan is ready to hand to the Coast Guard.
What goes in a float plan
A good float plan answers the questions rescuers ask first. The app walks you through each field — no printing a PDF template or texting a paragraph to your spouse.
Why a float plan matters
Most on-water emergencies end well when someone ashore knows the plan and raises the alarm early. A float plan turns “he should've been back by now” into a boat description, a launch point, and a search area. It's the one habit the Coast Guard, BoatUS, and every safe skipper agree on — and on MyFishingBuds it takes a minute and costs nothing.
Float plan FAQs
What is a float plan?
A float plan is a simple record of where you’re going fishing or boating and when you’ll be back, left with someone ashore (or the Coast Guard). If you don’t return on time, it tells rescuers who to look for, what your boat looks like, and where to start. The U.S. Coast Guard recommends filing one for every trip.
Is the float plan app free?
Yes. Float plans, live GPS tracking, overdue alerts, and SOS are free forever on MyFishingBuds — the whole safety stack is never paywalled. You can file unlimited float plans on the free tier.
What should a float plan include?
Who’s aboard and your vessel details (make, color, registration), your launch point and intended area, your departure and expected return time, an emergency contact, and your safety gear and radio plan. The app walks you through each field.
Do I need a float plan for kayak or shore fishing?
A float plan helps any time you’re on the water out of easy reach — kayak, small skiff, offshore, or night fishing. Kayak anglers especially benefit, since a capsize far from shore is the biggest risk. File one and share the tracking link whenever you head out alone or with someone new.
How do overdue alerts work?
You set an expected return time when you file the plan. If that time passes without you checking in or marking the trip complete, the app flags the trip as overdue and prompts a check-in, so a late return gets noticed instead of being missed.
Can I use this with a fishing buddy I just met?
That’s exactly what it’s for. When you fish with someone new from MyFishingBuds, file a float plan and share the live tracking link so a trip with a new partner is still a trip someone ashore can follow.
File your next float plan free
Float plans, live GPS tracking, overdue alerts, and SOS — free forever on MyFishingBuds.