12 Safety Tips for Safe Stand Up Paddle Boarding
Posted: 13 March 2024
12 Safety Tips for Safe Stand Up Paddle Boarding
Stand Up Paddle may look easy, but it's essential to keep SUP safety in mind.
SUP Safety is ASI’s number one priority. Here are some tips to keep safe when paddling.
Stand Up Paddle is a great past-time that can be enjoyed by all. The more educated you are about supping, the more fun, easier to do, and safer it is.
1. Have Swimming Skills
Being able to swim is critical for standing up paddling. You will definitely fall into the water as you learn to stand up paddle, so you must be able to tread water and swim back to your board.
2. Always Wear Your Leash
Your leash is your life line. It attaches to your ankle and the board. Wear it all times. SUP boards travel very easily and fast over the water. If you fall off your SUP board, it could mean a long swim to retrieve your board. If you have your leash on, your board will stay close to you.
Someone told me leashes are dangerous. NO, that is not true. You must know how to use the leash correctly.
Use a coiled leash only, so it does not drag on the water and risk becoming entangled with weed or branches.
Stay well away from water hazards such as boat moorings and other water obstructions, so your leash doesn’t get caught on them and hold you under water.
Know how to use the quick release on your leash. This is how to remove your leash in case of an emergency.
3. Paddle in Flat, Calm Water
Choose a SUP location with flat water. Rivers and lakes are ideal. Know the location, its associated hazards. Stay away from boats, moorings, submerged tree branches or anything that you could fall onto.
Only go out in still, slow moving water. Flowing water makes it difficult to paddle and can carry you far away. You can become tired quickly if you have to paddle against flowing water.
At the ocean, if you are new to paddling, do not go on the waves. It is very dangerous and only for experienced paddlers. Stay in flat calm waters.
4. Understand Weather Conditions
Don’t paddle out if it’s windy. Wind can easily blow you far away from your starting location. And it is very difficult to paddle against the wind. You will soon tire yourself out and can put yourself in danger.
Winds can also blow you “off shore”. Which means the wind is blowing from the land and out to sea or away from the coast. Do not go into waters where the wind is blowing off shore.
When paddling always, look back to shore at all times to see if you have been blown away. Stay close to shore at all times.
Check weather conditions before you go out. The wind could change from one second to the other and you will struggle getting back to your starting location.
5. Avoid Weirs
Some waterways have weirs, often when the water level drops to another level. Stay away from weirs, they can be dangerous as you can get held underwater by the back flow or suffer injury from the drop.
At least 200 metres from weir, portage your board. This means get out of the water, 200 meters from a weir, then at the other end, enter the water 200 metres downstream from the weir.
6. Stay Close to Shore
You can travel quite fast whilst paddling and before you know it, you can be a long way from the shore.
If you tire out, you don’t want a long way to paddle back to shore.
Always keep a watch on the shoreline, and change direction regularly, to make sure you are close.
7. Look Out for Hazards
If hazards are close by, or you are feeling unsteady, paddle on your knees or on your bum. This lowers your centre of balance and you have less risk of falling off and onto the hazards.
8. Have 360 Degree Awareness
Whilst out on the water, have constant awareness, watch out for other water crafts such as jetski’s, boats and other water users. Stay away from them to avoid collisions.
Always be aware of the weather, wind, water conditions – be alert at all times.
9. Paddle with a Buddy
Go out with a partner, it is always good to have someone there to help you out if you need it. If you are experienced and paddling longer distances, alert the maritime authorities.
10. Rental Safety
Only rent or hire SUP boards if you are experienced and know the local location.
There are many locations not suitable for paddling and can have hidden dangers.
Weather conditions can also be unpredictable in some locations.
Only rent or hire boards from an accredited SUP School – they will give you safe paddling locations and proper weather information, suitable and safe equipment.
11. Avoid River Mouths
Do not paddle through a river mouth. This is where a river goes out to the sea. The currents at river mouths are very dangerous, you can be pushed onto hazards and held underwater.
Stay at least 200 metres away from a river mouth at all times.
12. Understand the Tides
Tides flow in and out and this means the water can flow very, very fast. Be aware of tides and flow in estuaries and bodies of water opening out to the ocean. You can be pushed on objects like boat moorings and be held under water.
Be SUP Savvy
You are at the mercy of mother nature. Whilst you may feel safe on top of your paddle board, knowing more about all aspects of SUP activities is critical to SUP safely. Once mastered, you can enjoy the amazing benefits of stand up paddling.
Take some stand up paddle lessons at ASI accredited SUP Schools with qualified ASI instructors, and learn about water and weather conditions so you understand what is safe and unsafe conditions.
Learn about your own paddle skills and your limitations so that you know the conditions and locations you can paddle in.
Learn what you should do if you are in an emergency situation – self rescue skills and possibly how to rescue others. Be prepared at all times !
