Safety

New Life Jacket from Australia’s Vaikobi! First off, whilst we’ve been advised that the US Coast Guard actually prefers the term life jacket now, Vaikobi’s official name for this new vest is “PFD.” Since that’s what the manufacturer is referring to it as, so shall...

If you’ve looked at new life jackets recently, you might have noticed some changes. The United States Coast Guard made significant changes in the way life jackets are labeled, with the intent of making it easier for consumers to pick the right jacket for the...

We saw this alert today: "Washington state sees uptick in stand-up paddleboard deaths" "SEATTLE — Three people using stand-up paddleboards have drowned in western Washington this year and the Coast Guard says many who use the small vessels are not aware that they’re required to wear...

Authorities are reporting that someone thought the floodwaters surging through the Escondio flood channel would present a thrill on a paddleboard. However, from the look of the board, it seems to be a Wavestorm, although it's hard to tell. If it is the SUP...

Paddle races are inherently dangerous. Even in the most benign of conditions, people can get hurt and even die. We don’t think about it often because of the contagious spirit embodied in the participants and event staff. It’s fun. BUT. It’s dangerous. And as...

Holiday Weekends are dangerous for paddlers. Mostly because people have an easier time getting a 32-foot motorboat into the water and up to full throttle than they have to adopt a stray cat. AND, they have the right of way over SUPs. It's scary,...

Dissecting the USCG SUP Accident numbers Good news and bad news this week on the safety front. The bad news Another paddler, a doctor from Toronto, died on Lake Huron over the weekend.  According to news reports, witnesses said 39-year-old Dennis Bowman fell into the water at...

Paddle Safety Reminder It’s been a sad holiday weekend, dare I say holiday week, or even summer.  It seems, anecdotally at least, that there has been one report after another about paddlers drowning in any number of circumstances - from tourists renting boards for the...

If you found a board with no rider floating down the lake or waterway, or perhaps walked up to a rider-less SUP on a beach, what would you think? What would you do? First, you'd look around for the owner. Scan the water, assume the...

Editor's Note: We ran across this cautionary tale and sober reminder that being safe on the water means more than just wearing a PFD and leash and knowing your limits.  Angie Federici shared this experience on her Facebook page last week after a near...

Stand up paddlers should be aware of the general rules of the road when it comes to navigating our waterways, particularly in high traffic areas.

by Dean Burke I started rock climbing in my early 20’s. The sport was still pretty young back then. Not Yvon-young, but climbing gyms were still rare and those that did exist were among the first to open. Shows like MTV Sports glorified extreme climbers....

According to the Grand Rapids Press (http://bit.ly/2cto77D), Hannah Harris, a 10-year-old Lansing girl drowned in Lake Michigan after she fell off a paddle board on Monday, Sept. 19. Harris fell off her paddleboard at 3:47 p.m, less than a mile north of Charles Mears State...

The thing that jumped out at me as I walked through the wakeboarding area of surf expo were the impact vests. They were beautiful. Low profile. Fitted. The colors and designs ran the gamut. From pinky bubble gum designs to chamo and gaming designs. In wakeboarding, they...

"We need to take responsibility for the safety of the people in our sport." Tyler callaway leads off the stand up Paddleboard manufacturer's safety meeting at @surfexpo. On Friday, September 9th at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida manufacturers, media, and representatives from the...

This video offers five valuable tips for Stand Up Paddling that will help you stay safe and get the most out of your time on the water.

Learn the three key techniques that will make you a better, safer paddler. How to get back on your board if you fall off, how to deal with a boat wake, and how to do a pivot turn. Produced in partnership with the ACA http://www.aca-sup.com

Starting from a standing position with the power of a paddle makes catching waves easier on a SUP board than traditional surfing...But, surfing a SUP has its own unique challenges and skills to develop in order to become proficient.

Everyone who tries Standup Paddleboarding needs to assume they will fall in. Everyone falls. It's what makes it fun, and also what can make it dangerous. For those in cold water, who go out in choppy and windy conditions, and for those who aren't strong...

The first was in San Diego: The La Jolla Patch reports in Man Dies While Paddleboarding Near Harbor Island: The 23-year-old was visiting San Diego with an intern group from Massachusetts, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office. The man died on July 25....

This image and commentary is reposted with permission by Jamie Mitchell from his facebook account. So lately I have been asked consistently about my thoughts on the so called "NEW" foil popularity and haven't really said much .. But, yesterday sadly I saw a photo that I knew was...

The paddler was identified by his family as Jerry Conti — a musician, philanthropist, father and husband — who died off Fort Myers Beach Saturday. Conti, 62, was paddle boarding with his wife near the beach's pier around 8:30 a.m. when he suffered from a...

According to the News Press, a 62-year-old man who went missing in the water while paddleboarding with his wife. They were about two miles south of the fishing pier. The man fell off his board and did not resurface. It does not appear that he...

This is from 2013, but a really good example of what to consider when rescuing a person from drowning in open water with a stand up paddle board. Keep in mind how important it is to keep yourself safe first. If you are not comfortable performing a rescue, practice. And...

While news reports tend to find a local expert to guide them through the sport of SUP, the articles written for the general public by newspapers and local magazines are poorly researched and fact checked and pick stock photos that don't show how to...