SUP Safety Rules and Tips from Barefoot Paddle
Updated: Jun 15
10 Basic SUP Safety Rules
Written by WPA certified instructor Heather Zak-Malcolm
YOU are responsible to know and follow safety equipment regulations. Wear your PFD, leash & whistle at all times.
Know your own limitations: be sure you can swim, understand safety, and know how to paddle. If you don't know, learn first.
Tell someone where you are going, when you'll be back, and carry your phone in an attached waterproof pouch.
Know conditions, such as currents, rips, undertows, waves, of the waterway you choose.
Check weather before you go and watch for changing conditions. If you hear thunder or experience high wind or waves, get off the water.
Paddle with a partner and stay close to shore.
Be aware of obstacles. SUP fins can snag on sand or obstacles and throw you off. Never stand on your SUP in very shallow water or close to an obstacle or dock.
If you get in trouble, get down on your knees.
If you can't easily avoid a fall, jump clear of your board & paddle to avoid injury.
If you fall, stay with your SUP. Don't leave your SUP behind to chase a paddle. If you can't get back on, or If you get into trouble, use your cellphone to call 911.
Learn more...
Safe SUPing
Paddling With Children
Staying Out Of and Getting Out of Trouble On The Water
Safe SUPing...
Always follow Transport Canada’s laws for safety equipment on the water – failure to do so may result in substantial fines. This equipment will come standard with your rental at no extra cost. Read our post on SUP equipment regulations.
ALWAYS wear the leash that comes with your paddleboards. Read our post on Leash safety
While a universal size PFD is provided with each rental, YOU are responsible for knowing the lifejacket and PFD regulations, ensuring it fits correctly, and ensuring that anyone you choose to allow to use the equipment is wearing the proper PFD for the situation and their size/age, etc.
Double check your equipment to be sure it's in good condition before you leave home or rental location and then again at your paddling put-in location. Ensure all of your equipment is suitable for the conditions you're going to go out in. For example, the equipment you rent may be suitable for beach paddling but not white water. Extra equipment will be needed for after dark or in cold water.
Make sure your PFD has a whistle attached. Sometimes they can fall off and not be noticed by staff. It’s your responsibility to ensure you have what you need. It’s the law.
If you are not sure you know how to paddle and swim, DON'T GO until you have taken a lesson. Remember: when renting paddlecraft, you are warranting that you know how to paddle.
Let someone know where you are going and when you will be back.
Take a communication device with you, and if you get in trouble dial 999. If you are paddling near the rental location you can call 705 772-1020 if it is a non emergency. Mobile phones are also great for taking photos and knowing what time to return.
Don’t go out hungry or thirsty. Blood sugar and hydration levels can drop with heat and exercise. Eat before you go, or take a snack and a water bottle. Alcohol and cannabis don’t mix with water – don’t use before or during swimming or paddling
Check weather conditions and forecasts before heading out. Familiarise yourself with different wind and weather conditions and what they mean for paddle boarding.
Be prepared for conditions on the waterway where you choose to use your rental paddlecraft. Remember you have to paddle back to where you started from.
Be aware that some beaches are not supervised. There are hazards specific to each beach, including rip currents, undertows, drop offs, weedy, shallow or rocky areas that can snag SUP fins and cause falls. Winds and currents can cause paddlecraft to drift or be pulled into deep water or even across the river.
Wear the right apparel for the weather (ie a hat in the heat, a wetsuit if water is cold, etc.)
If you see that bad weather is coming in, paddle closer to shore, as the wind can change rapidly and create large waves in a matter of minutes.Get off the water immediately if you hear thunder or see lightening.
Read this first, before you get into trouble on the water.
Paddling with children:
If you are paddling, or swimming, with children you MUST directly supervise them AT ALL TIMES. Never allow a child to paddle or swim alone and do not allow other children, even if older, to substitute for your direct supervision responsibility. Accidents happen fast. Children may be caught by local beach hazards, fall onto or from a paddlecraft and be injured or drown, or many other accidental injuries or deaths can happen.
Children should not be paddling any paddlecraft unless they have been instructed by a knowledgeable adult or taken a lesson. Even experienced children should not paddle alone.
Constance Bay Paddle requires you to have only one person at a time in a single SUP or Kayak... the exception to this is if you have one child with you on the SUP or in the Kayak. You should only do this is the child in question can swim and has all necessary safety equipment, including a properly fitted PFD. It's the law and more important it is necessary for safety. Always adhere to paddlecraft weight limits. REMEMBER: YOU are responsible for the safety of anyone you choose to share your rented equipment with. SUPERVISE, SUPERVISE, SUPERVISE!
Staying out of and getting out of trouble on the water:
IMPORTANT: Before going paddling be sure you know how to paddle safely and correctly and that anyone you allow to use the rented equipment also knows.
Staying our of trouble:
Be aware of wind, weather and water.
DO NOT stand up close to shore, obstacles, or waves/boat wakes you are not sure you can navigate. Kneel or sit, not stand, when launching or coming in, and be sure the water is deep enough and obstacle free before standing up.
If you do find yourself caught in a strong current or headwind, on a SUP, try paddling while kneeling or sitting. If you are still having trouble, lay down, with the blade of your paddle under you, shaft towards the front, and paddle straight back to shore using your hands. Go slowly. Rest periodically.
The best way to avoid hitting an obstacle is prevention. Keep an eye out at all times for rocks, logs, shallow areas, shorelines that could snag the fin of your paddleboard, jar your board to a halt, and throw you off. The most common spot to fall when at a beach on a SUP is going out or coming in.
If you do encounter an obstacle at the last minute there are paddle techniques for making quick turns, which you can learn in a SUP lesson.
If you don’t know how to turn quickly, drop to your knees immediately. You can paddle from your knees and won’t fall off if your fin hits the obstacle.
If you fall:
If you do hit an obstacle, or encounter a condition such as a big wave, and start to fall, don’t try to stay on. Jump away from the board and paddle. The risk here is hitting your head or body on board or paddle as you fall. Water is soft, SUPs aren’t.
Practice getting on your SUP from the water before you go. It is much easier for some people and some body types than for others. If you've tried and still can't, take a lesson that specializes in this. There are also some good Youtube videos on the subject.
This should be obvious, but you are unsure about your ability to get back on, never paddle alone, stay close to shore, and, as always, be sure you can swim and are using all safety equipment at all times.
Wear the leash attached to your SUP. This will keep your SUP from drifting away beyond your reach. This can happen fast, even when you think the water is calm.
Unless attached to the SUP with a leash, always swim to the board first, then lay on the board and paddle with your hands to pick up the paddle. Paddles won’t drift too far, but your board will, and you can use a board to float on, you can't float on a paddle.
Climb back on. Move to the middle of the board, hold the handle, let your feet float to the surface, kick your feet and move yourself onto the board before trying to climb on as though you were mounting a horse.
If you can’t get back on and you are alone, don’t panic and don’t struggle trying to get on, you’ll only get exhausted
Don't remove your leash or PFD!
Stay with your craft. It is much easier for rescuers to find the board than a person swimming in the water and you can paddle your board much faster than you can swim.
Head for shallow water. Hold on to the side or back of your board, and kick your feet in the direction of shore or shallow water. Go slowly. Rest periodically. Don’t panic.
Call 911 to be picked up. That’s where having your phone in a waterproof floating bag attached to you comes in very handy.
Use your whistle - three blasts mean “I need help”.
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