It's not always about being rad. On a sunny evening a paddle with friends having a natter out in nature is a great way to relax. I've met some decent folk through it too, including a few single ladies @dezb
It's going to be a busy summer for the RNLI..
It doesn't take long for inflatable watercraft to get blown a few hundred metres offshore. Would be great to see a water safety campaign for sups put out asap
Mine were attached to the fin not in the slot, had to dissassemble/reassemble it.
Yup, panic over they were lying loose in the bottom of the bag!
It’s going to be a busy summer for the RNLI..
They were extremely popular last year too, to the point stocks were impossible to find. I don’t recall a huge increase in calls.
Doesn't have to be extreme.
There is something great about drifting down a river in the sun with your son on the front of your board and wife paddling too.
My only issue is stopping the boy jumping on the water all the time and getting cold too fast.
An increase of 30% it mentions paddle boards but not how many of the 30% were paddle boards.
These newly released figures cover people who got into difficulty while bodyboarding, using inflatables, kayaking, or canoeing, kitesurfing, paddleboarding, rowing, surfing, swimming, water-skiing, windsurfing and dinghy sailing.
In the South East (covering 31 lifeboat stations from the Thames to Swanage) by far the biggest increase this summer (June to August) was to incidents involving inflatables. In 2019 lifeboats across the South East launched 20 times to people in difficulty with inflatables and 26 people were helped. In 2020 there were 37 launches and 89 people aided – an increase of 242.3%.
So not just paddle boards
One of my staff does shouts for Newhaven - most of the increase is cheap rubber dinghies and small leaky RIBs for fishing with unserviced outboards which have been bought for £1000 on ebay
The common denominator is zero safety gear or knowledge of the tides and weather conditions at all.
Rubber dinghies are a difficult one but anyone putting to sea under power should have mandatory training - its crazy thats not the case.
SUPs have historically been less of an issue because of the type of people who bought them being more of the enthusiast type and fitter - thats now changing with the price dropping so he expects many more SUP call outs this summer as people ignore safety warnings about offshore winds, tides etc and suddenly find its a lot harder to get back to the beach.
That’s probably fair to say winston yes a lot less dramatic than RNLI will be busy and 30% click bait.
It’s going to be a busy summer for the RNLI..
It doesn’t take long for inflatable watercraft to get blown a few hundred metres offshore. Would be great to see a water safety campaign for sups put out asap
Better alert Mountain Rescue and the fun police to the increase in bike sales over the last year as well.....
The common denominator is zero safety gear or knowledge of the tides and weather conditions at all.
Usually but not always ...... I picked up a group of 3 people on boards one day last summer, they had decided to go round the headland.
There wasn't much breeze at all but it's direction and the bit of tide that was running meant they couldn't get back.
No wetsuits
No bouyancy aids
One of the ladies husbands was on the lifeboat crew!!
And just for balance the next day I towed in a a guy who's boat just decided not to run anymore.
Better alert Mountain Rescue and the fun police to the increase in bike sales over the last year as well…
Not really comparable though. Bite off more than you can chew on a bike you can slow down or get off and push the hard bits. At sea...
Was out on my kayak last summer just bimbling about on a mild swell. Kept on the landward side of an island and reef for protection as didn't want anything challenging. Out strides a SUP user and confidently sets out. Goes straight out past the protection of the reef and got way more than he was expecting. Instantly hit the deck and gingerly paddled himself back very slowly face down on the board. I hung about keeping an eye out in case any help was required. It was a great illustration of how subtle differences in sea conditions can massively influence somebody's confidence.
so in the first of your instances your 'customers' had no safety gear or knowledge of the tides based on the equipment they were using
in the second the boat was not properly serviced!
I'm sorry but I've been on the water in pretty much every watercraft around for 40 years and almost always its user error that leads to a call out. Boat engines rarely 'just stop working' unless they are not properly maintained.
I include myself in that cohort (snapped UJ on a windsurf in a force 6/7 offshore - should have checked for wear before leaving the beach,should have been sailing closer inshore in those conditions, totally my fault)
Often watercraft users think that because they do one type of watersport they will automatically be experts in others. A powerboat user with 1000hp on tap rarely has to think about tide except in the realms of depth and navigation whereas to a kayaker, tide ie everything and depth is of no importance etc etc
For those that are really curious to try this extremely dull looking, suddenly trendy “sport”
Yeah it's not really that much of a sport, for me. I'd get one but only as a glorified beach toy. Last summer most beaches we went to had a few people paddling their way out for a but then paddling back... Didn't look amazing really.
Not really comparable though. Bite off more than you can chew on a bike you can slow down or get off and push the hard bits. At sea…
So a bit like jumping off a paddle board and wading back in?
So a bit like jumping off a paddle board and wading back in?
Yeah just like that. You know the sea gets more than 1.5 metres deep right?
Yeah just like that. You know the sea gets more than 1.5 metres deep right?
You know people can fall off on trails and injure themselves right?
Not really comparable though. Bite off more than you can chew on a bike you can slow down or get off and push the hard bits. At sea….............
got way more than he was expecting. Instantly hit the deck and gingerly paddled himself back very slowly face down on the board.
I don't disagree that people can be inexperienced idiots, but tarring everyone with the same brush is equally daft. Just look at the ambulances queuing up at some trail centers over the summer! And wile the tip of the iceberg requires rescuing the other 99.9% learn from the mistake and move on. Whether that's coming up short on Watkins Leap at Swinley, or spending 3 hours with the wrong (too big) rig in a 4 gusting 6 on Southampton water dodging shipping while the race officer dicks about getting very fatigued from the repeated capsizes and then having a very long hard time getting back to the River Itchen against the tide.
Rubber dinghies are a difficult one but anyone putting to sea under power should have mandatory training – its crazy thats not the case.
Be careful what you wish for, the casualty rates there are probably lower than mountain biking - if you need formal training for one why not the other!
There wasn’t much breeze at all but it’s direction and the bit of tide that was running meant they couldn’t get back.
No wetsuits
No bouyancy aids
Interestingly the world of SUPping does not universally believe that wetsuits or PFDs are essential. I guess its like cyclists with helmets and armour. You'll see similar attitudes to PFDs amongst windsurfers, and wetsuits amongst kayakers.
If there were 30% more call outs it probably has a lot to do with a LOT more people staying in the UK.
If there were 30% more call outs it probably has a lot to do with a LOT more people staying in the UK.
Yup. As mentioned by the RNLI themselves it was people stayed in the UK and visited beaches in droves. The call outs were for people injured on the beaches too not just floating out on a unicorn.
Not really comparable though. Bite off more than you can chew on a bike you can slow down or get off and push the hard bits. At sea…
Is it that different though? I could 'reset' your found it was harder than he thought and got back safely story like this:
<i>
Was out on my full sus last summer just bimbling about on some technical local trails. Kept off the wet slippy roots and steep rock garden as didn’t want anything challenging. Out strides a guy on a hardtail and confidently sets out. Goes straight out on the wet, steep slippy stuff and got way more than he was expecting. Instantly got off and gingerly pushed his bike back to the car trying not to slip in his SPDs on the slimy bit. I hung about keeping an eye out in case any help was required. It was a great illustration of how subtle differences in the trail conditions can massively influence somebody’s confidence.</i>
for a couple of hours to go paddling at Prestonpans of all places
I live one minutes walk from the sea, a little way along, near Portobello. On days when the sea is so calm that it’s like a pond, it is so, so, inviting (and indeed increasingly popular from 07:00 to 22:00). However, since I cannot swim I shall give it a miss.
Lifeguard stats for 2020 (includes beach launches of jetskis etc - not Lifeboats) here on p9-p12 -
Wider RNLI operational data Lifeboats + Lifeguards for 2019 (all activities) here -
Took it out today, we already had a 2 bare feet board to compare too. The board seems to be of a similar quality, nice and rigid and we'll put together even though the PSI limit is lower. The paddle is nothing special but I'm fussy about those.
For the price I was really impressed. Already seeing others on the beach though.
Finally got out on them today, few hours spent exploring round the islands and shallow bits on the sailing clubs lake.
Sorry to dissapoint the misseries but no one died, the board didn't explode, the paddle didn't collapse and we didn't need to call the safety boat.
Sorry to dissapoint the misseries but no one died, the board didn’t explode, the paddle didn’t collapse and we didn’t need to call the safety boat.
Laugh now, but just wait till the morning when your arm bursts from Wellington's Ooze.
Didn't die either. Did get a bit harder when the wind picked up at the furthest point from the launching point. Didn't fall in. Much easier on a lake than the sea. No 'buzz' like I'm used to with other sports, but a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours on a windless day. Didn't feel like exercise, but heart rate above 100 for the whole outing and got to parts of the reservoir I'd not seen before. Looking forward to finding a new stretch of water to explore. Also found my long lost water bottle from a hairy moment sailing a while back. Result.
As for the board itself, Feels similar to the much more expensive (to buy) ones that we've rented a few times. Kids looking forward to the freedom this will give them on the water in warmer weather.
Where's that? I want to guess Scalling Dam but that's barely better than a guess.
Where’s that? I want to guess Scalling Dam but that’s barely better than a guess.
Hi - Grimwith Reservoir/YDSC, Yorkshire Dales.
We got ours out for an hour the other weekend in a local reservoir where we swim occasionally.
I’ve never done it before. I fell in a lot but am still alive.
What happens next?
Hi – Grimwith Reservoir/YDSC, Yorkshire Dales.
Dammit that was my 2nd guess, I keep meaning to come up for the Blaze open but it never quite lines up conveniently.
🤣
Reservoir
Can somebody please clarify something about reservoirs, and only if you actually know, rather than the standard "OMG you'll definitely die" replies.
I've not taken my kayak on a reservoir even though I'm surrounded by them. Whenever I mention doing this to people I get this thing about the water board suddenly drawing off water, and I'll be instantly sucked under water and held next to a grid until dead.
So what truth is in that? Is it like "a swan will break your arm" every single time you go to close to a Swan? Or is it more nuanced? Like, I know that they do draw off water, that's the whole point of a reservoir. But is it so instant and violent, that I'd definitely be instantly sucked under and die? Would there not be human activity around the reservoir for such an occurrence? As I would then not even take my kayak in in the first place for fear of hassle about trespassing. How come all the licensed fishermen on their boats don't get sucked under all the time, but only those on the water without permission? Ladybower for example. Do they draw from a certain part that can be avoided etc etc?
Firstly, reservoirs are always private property. Ditto gravel pits*. Lakes can be private property or it might just be the shoreline that is (in which case you just need to find a bit of shoreline that has access). Licenses might also still be required.
Ladybower IIRC was always a no go.
Resevoirs that do have access tend to have restricted areas arround the dam and any infrastructure. This can be to protect you from an overflow, or might just be to protect the dam from erosion from people walking on it.
The pump out tends to be from a structure on the bottom of the reservoir. There won't be any noticeable current on the surface from it.
If you use resevoirs you sometimes spot the point where water is pumped in or recirculated as patch on the surface where the water is rising up. But it's barely noticeable when you pass over it.
*our sailing club leases a gravel pit from Prudential, over the last couple of years "wild" and "open water" swimming allong with paddle boards have become a bit of a PITA. You can join the club and paddleboard. But you can't just turn up and not contribute (and swimming is just banned as it doesn't mix with boats racing). The trespassers then end up getting the club in trouble for not looking after the SSSI, because they land on the islands disturbing the ground nesting birds.
@jambourgie
Look up Sheffield outdoor plungers (SOuPers) on Facebook.
They have done loads of stuff to promote safe access to reservoirs. They had some zoom talks in lockdown including one about tresspass with the guy that wrote that book recently.
As Sheff is miles from the sea but surrounded by resevoirs it’s a much discussed topic.
Thanks for the info guys, interesting stuff. And I'll check out the FB group as I'm Sheffield based.
My photos above were taken on redmires reservoir for instance
Yeah, I've had my eye on Redmires as it's local with easy car access. I sometimes go running up there. If you see a guy in a yellow kayak come and say hello.
Certainly will. If you see a guy walking a deerhound type lurcher called Albert round there that’s me. It’s more my wife that swims.
Time for a gloryhole vid (no s****ing).
I live in Spain and have been keeping an eye out for when these appear here, it's usually a couple of weeks behind. Lo and behold they are available this week, for the princely sum of €399!!
So basically double the UK price so either there's been an almighty pricing cock-up in the UK or they've decided that demand in Spain will be stronger and priced accordingly. Bugger, I was looking forward to trying this.
Thanks to this thread I bought a Sport Pursuit 10’4” SUP for just over £200. I’ve been out on it several times now and I love it! We live on the edge of Oxford and there are lovely quiet parts of the Thames very nearby.
My wife enjoys it just as much as I do so we now want to get a second one, and I’m wondering how much we’d gain from something a bit better than the one we have. There seems to be a big jump from the cheap ones from Sport Pursuit and Decathlon, up to ~£800+ for Red and other brands. Is there anything in between, and/or does it add much to the experience to spend that much more? All I can really find in the middle ground is Decathlon - are they worth the extra over what I already have?
@lorax
There are other brands about but personally haven't really tried many.
You'll probably not tell that much of a difference across the mid range boards if but will when you have a go at the different types e.g. an all round vs touring (think using an MTB on the road)
So it really depends what you intend to be doing long term.
I'd suggest finding somewhere local that does tuition/hire and trying as many different ones as you can.
I think the investment would be better placed to start with.
