MIA Paddler - Tahoe

[Weasels wake]

Starman~
Agree 100% with everything you just said, and for me this was the big takeaway~
 "I would venture to guess that 80% if the people new to SUP think that leashes are only for "surfing" and not needed if they just cruising on a lake."
That is a huge point and needs to be publicized in some sort of way.

[Bulky]

Really insightful comment about the entry level differences between windsurfing and SUP.  No one probably went and bought a windsurfer kit at Costco and was on their way.  The lack of knowledge was pretty evident to me.  Someone deciding that they're better off ditching the board and swimming for it clearly doesn't understand basics of water safety.

A big part of safety is knowing the waters where you're paddling--like you observed Starman, I'm out by myself at an hour when no one else is.  But the fact is, even if it were mid-day, I couldn't count on anyone seeing me or being observant enough to notice if I was in distress.  But I know the area pretty well and there are times where that knowledge leads to a decision not to go.  I could easily see a novice missing something on a day that looks relatively tame from shore and getting into serious trouble.  As we all know, what looks benign from the beach can be a whole different story a few hundred yards out.  I have to think that came into play in most of these situations.  Really tragic for people who went out not knowing better; borderline criminal negligence if a rental operator knew and didn't make them aware.

[zachhandler]

@ starman: i have never windsurfed but i would guess they don't blow away from you like a sup does. Similar to the way leashes are needed with surfskis but not sea kayaks as the later takes on water in a capsize and does not blow away.

[JakeSupNC]

I am constantly amazed at the amount of people I see out on rental boards with no leash. If anybody SHOULD be aware it is the guys that are far enough into the sport (and have the liability hanging over their heads) to know better and make it a requirement of their rentals. I can understand a goofball rentee not being smart enough to wear it but it should be, at a bare minimum, provided. It is perhaps THE cheapest accessory in the sport, even cheaper if they provided cheapo crap leashes on par with the garbage type II pfds they include. A less than a minute conversation on wind vs current vs board going away safety talk is also too troublesome?

I understand and appreciate that small businesses need every cent that they can make and every buck counts and I also understand that you can't teach or regulate for every possibility, common sense and thinking are a requirement but I really have a hard time with skipping basic safety talks and easily obtainable gear yet I see it happen constantly.

After twenty two years as a cop, including many years as a marine enforcement officer, over five years in the Coast Guard and another two as a police recovery (not rescue...doesn't happen) diver I am well of the average citizen's god given right to kill themselves in whatever alcohol or stupid fueled manner they can think up but damn, can you give a brutha a pep talk and a plastic safety string along with his 30 bucks an hour rental ?

Just sayin

[yugi]

^ agree

[Quickbeam]

@ starman: i have never windsurfed but i would guess they don't blow away from you like a sup does. Similar to the way leashes are needed with surfskis but not sea kayaks as the later takes on water in a capsize and does not blow away.

Sorry, but sea kayaks most certainly do blow away. That’s why good sea kayaks have grab lines, so you can hold on during a capsize. One of the most dangerous times in a sea kayak, if you don’t roll, is after you have capsized and got your boat upright. If you should happen to let go for even a second, your boat is gone and you are in serious trouble.  I was once doing a rescue drill / capsize exercise in my kayak and had my boat upright and was making the necessary preparations to get back in. I knew better, but without thinking momentarily let go. My boat took off. This was in a very, very light wind. Luckily this was only a drill and my wife was with me and she went and retrieved my boat, so nothing serious happened. But it was a very valuable lesson learned.

And as far as leashes for kayaks, you are correct per se. But as I mentioned above well equipped sea kayaks have grab lines and some people also use leashes on their kayak paddles (I was one of those that did).

[Ichabod Spoonbill]

This happened in my local waters over the weekend:

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/c0d36d37b60947e98e589e92f06f8616/evening-kayak-trip-turns-fatal-boaters-blown-across-sound

Four people went out, a mixed group of SUPers and kayakers. Two died. The people were very inexperienced and the winds got up to 40mph. The survivors were blown from Connecticut across Long Island Sound to Long Island. One of the dead had been on a SUP. He apparently was wearing a PFD. It looks like both people died of hypothermia.

This has been a very windy week. I wasn't going out, just to be safe, and I know what the hell I'm doing.

[TN_SUP]

There is the aspect of using aps like wind alert to check forecasted wind, waves, and tides before even loading your gear. Much easier to make a decision at home rather than gear up and drive to the water to find conditions not ideal. You're more likely to take risks at that point.

[PonoBill]

SUP rental has a lot of marginal operators. Most just bought a bunch of cheap boards, stencilled the company name on it, and started biz. They do equipment rental, nothing more. With the complexities of other sports, a more sophisticated operation is necessary. But you can rent a kayak and paddle off to oblivion too, without a word from the operator.

To me the surprising thing is that it hasn't happend more. SUP is a lot safer than I would expect given the lack of knowledge of most users and how often they are rented now. It's like all the people I "rescued" over a 30 year period at Manzanita beach. People didn't die when I wasn't there. Somehow most people manage to self-rescue, or someone else intervenes. The reality is that dangerous things are actually pretty safe.

With a near perfect national news reporting system that ensures that each of us hear about every accident, there are only a few. It would be nice if it were zero, but that seems unlikely as the popularity continues to grow. I think the simple fact that we hear about every incident that relates to our interest means we come to the wrong conclusions.

[Ichabod Spoonbill]

This article includes another NY SUP death which I didn't know about:

http://www.supthemag.com/news/news-four-sup-deaths-over-the-weekend/


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[TN_SUP]

Just last night here in Chatt: This is just stupid- you could see the storm coming all evening and you put your kid out on the water? Calling 911 instead of waiting it out? Fire dept boat??? Children services should be called. To put in perspective, they were about 100 yards from the parking lot.

CHATTANOOGA, TN (WRCB) -
Three ladies got more excitement than they bargained for when they decided to go paddleboarding on the Tennessee River tonight.
Chattanooga fire spokesman Bruce Garner says they were near the Riverfront on two paddleboards when the area was hit by a strong thunderstorm.
He says as the storm got stronger, they decided to paddle over to McClellan Island.
They sought shelter under a boat dock and called 911.
Firefighters assigned to the fire boat responded and found them very quickly.
Lt. Chad Rogers said they appeared to be a little rattled, but were otherwise unharmed.
The firefighters then gave them a ride in the fire boat over to Coolidge Park, where their vehicle was parked.

http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/32233171/paddleboarders-stranded-on-island-saved-during-severe-weather

[stoneaxe]

We also have to remember that there is no fixing stupid. Well actually there is but it involves winning a Darwin award.

[pdxmike]

Lots of good comments by everyone. 


I see more deaths as more people without water experience are able to get into trouble via irresponsible rentals and cheap boards.  I think anyone from a watersports background, or even general fitness, who's going to get into SUP already has, which leaves the naive masses as the growth area.


The combination of no skills and easy access reminds me of why swimming pools don't allow floating devices.  They allow people with no skills to get into trouble--into deeper water or further from the pool edge than they can handle.  SUPs give people with no skills the ability to get out into rough conditions and far from shore--or just out further than they can swim back from--all in a beguiling package that disguises the dangers.

[Eagle]

Yeah the dangers can be very deceiving for those unaware of the true risks.  It is fairly easy to get into trouble if no precautions are taken - especially for beginners that get overconfident.

[PonoBill]

Just last night here in Chatt: This is just stupid- you could see the storm coming all evening and you put your kid out on the water? Calling 911 instead of waiting it out? Fire dept boat??? Children services should be called. To put in perspective, they were about 100 yards from the parking lot.

If that's the worst thing she ever does she'll be up for mother of the year. Dumb--yes. Doing something fun and athletic with your kids. Yup. PFDs all around, Yup. Even brought along a phone for emergencies! Well, that and pictures to text to MyFace.com. She gets my vote.