Do be careful before you go paddle boarding

davidej said:
Sorry not meant to be. But I see a lot of inexperienced people on boards getting into difficulties when they would be perfectly safe in a kayak. Boarding has moved from a lovely pastime in clement conditions to a me too sport in far from ideal circumstances.
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Okay so you deleted your first "bronzed bodies" post, that's good. Followed by more cheap jibes about "inexperienced people" participating in "me too sport". And your assertion about being perfectly safe in a kayak is both wrong and dangerous, which as an experienced kayaker I would advise any reader to ignore.

Why keep making these thoroughly distasteful comments given that we know little of the circumstances surrounding the two now deceased ladies finding themselves trapped in the current? Which prompted a fit ex-Royal Engineer, Paul O'Dwyer to jump in and try to save them. Tragically, he perished alongside them.

I never understand why some people are attracted to the scene of an accident to start criticising the victims.
 
Which prompted a fit ex-Royal Engineer, Paul O'Dwyer to jump in and try to save them. Tragically, he perished alongside them.

From the reports I have seen Paul O'Dwyer is quoted as being one of the paddle boarders. Either way still a very sad accident.
 
As a matter of interest, are there any UK restrictions or guidelines on hiring canoes or paddle boards? Here in Portugal, it's as simple as hiring a deck chair, no experience needed, but they are given life jackets. We see novice paddle boarders every day in the ria but fairly sheltered waters, most falls are due to wash from passing power boats.
 
Guess its the unsuitable and therefore dangeous conditions following larger amount of rain than usuall so a swolen water course (ria or not ) is certainly not a time to engage in water sports
 
I have assisted/recovered/rescued at least 10 paddle boarders over the last year. What was noticeable with all was none were wearing buoyancy aids of any sort. Some were out in conditions in shorts and T shirts where I saw fit to be wearing a drysuit. I have tried the sport myself and enjoyed it but the lack of awareness by some participants is startling.
 
Graham376 said:
As a matter of interest, are there any UK restrictions or guidelines on hiring canoes or paddle boards? Here in Portugal, it's as simple as hiring a deck chair, no experience needed, but they are given life jackets. We see novice paddle boarders every day in the ria but fairly sheltered waters, most falls are due to wash from passing power boats.
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I've hired both, with the sit-on canoe I got shown how to get on it without tipping it in, and a suggestion not to go too far down wind.
But maybe as we turned up with our own wetsuits and buoyancy aids, we were assumed competent?
With the paddle board ,we got a 2 minute 'do it like this' demo.
Both were on beaches with no major hazards.
 
humbug716 said:
I have assisted/recovered/rescued at least 10 paddle boarders over the last year. What was noticeable with all was none were wearing buoyancy aids of any sort. Some were out in conditions in shorts and T shirts where I saw fit to be wearing a drysuit. I have tried the sport myself and enjoyed it but the lack of awareness by some participants is startling.
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But when did you last see a surfer wearing a BA?
 
Its not surfing as I understand it. What I am saying is that people's awareness is not where it should be. My daughter and her friend went to a recommended spot on the river Dart to go paddle boarding. She said it was recommended on a SUP website. It went badly with her friend narrowly avoiding getting badly injured. They didn't tell anyone where they were going so she learnt a big lesson that day.
Its a great sport when the weather is benign, but when the conditions change, as with all water sports then it gets challenging and possibly life threatening.
 
Down ere in South Devon area Paddle Boarding is well practiced , mostly from the Rivers but occasionally from the Beaches ; mostly Boarders wear a Wet Suit but not a BA of any kind ; on sunny days Boarder might only be wearing a Swim Suit or shorts etc ; most often the Boarders only paddle up and down a short stretch of Water , but sometimes they travel about 3 miles or so , with arrangements for their return by Car etc ; Often the Club cancels an arranged Board Event at very short notice owing to weather conditions prevailing , which I think is most wise ;

My observation is that Boarding Companys Clubs will be far more cautious concerning the Weather conditions than the Family /friend groups ; just maybe those Clubs have Sailing or Rowing or just Boating experience so are aware of the dangers that lurk when afloat ?

Justa fred drift ; does that RYA offer Boarding Courses etc ?

The main Teignmouth RYA Tuition / HireCompany also offers Paddle Boards for Hire and local Tuition ; but not sure if theBoarding Tuition is casual for the Hirers of the boards so without a RYA certificate /Tuition ?
 
Capt Popeye said:
My observation is that Boarding Companys Clubs will be far more cautious concerning the Weather conditions than the Family /friend groups ; just maybe those Clubs have Sailing or Rowing or just Boating experience so are aware of the dangers that lurk when afloat ?
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Anyone giving instruction should be cautious, this is what happened to the self employed instructor responsible for my friend's death -

Appearing at Durham Crown Court, ............, 27, of Darlington, pleaded guilty to two offences and will be sentenced on 17 February.
................ admitted a breach of duty as a self-employed person, exposing another to health and safety risks and failing to make a suitable risk assessment.

I don't know what the sentence was, can't find it on line.
 
I am wary of commercial organisations. The paddle boarders group are described as experienced, but were they misled by an instructor who told them it is fine to develop further in such waters. The moment money comes into it the need for profit or apparent reliability of service can take over, and the clients may not understand the limitations and caveats.

My friend was coast guard looking for dead canoeists at Lyme Bay, he expressed noticeable distress when ever it was discussed

I recently had to call a mayday on behalf of two sit on kayakers who were overturned in the mouth of the Fowey due to rough weather. I didnt dare go near them in case we crushed them and they were very very lucky a HM small launch came up to assist. I am pretty sure they were on hired kit, but I wonder what they were told or understood about the limits of safe use. It could well have turned into another tragedy.
 
Wing Mark said:
Ria is a subset of river valleys.
It's definitely a river.
Not sure it is technically a Ria.

It looks like service were called to the tidal section.
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Technically, a Ria is a flooded river valley. It arises where a river cuts a normal V-shaped valley, and then sea level rises and floods it. It is the temperate/tropical equivalent of a fjord; a fjord is a flooded glacial U-shaped valley; a Ria is a flooded V-shaped valley.
 
AntarcticPilot said:
Technically, a Ria is a flooded river valley. It arises where a river cuts a normal V-shaped valley, and then sea level rises and floods it. It is the temperate/tropical equivalent of a fjord; a fjord is a flooded glacial U-shaped valley; a Ria is a flooded V-shaped valley.
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Which is a better description of the bit near the tropical Resort of Milford Haven (used to be temperate on Sundays?) than it is of the river or valley at Haverfordwest?
 
This summer we saw a paddle boarder crossing between Devils Point and Mount Edgcombe in Plymouth with a toddler sat on the front of the board. Tide racing, yachts tacking up and down, ferries, power boats , tugs etc etc. We were gobsmacked until we got to the Bridge and there were 5 of them in the deep water channel. When I have approached people who pitch up at our club to launch their boards to explain about the tide that goes out faster than you can walk all they can say is ''We're exercising!" I'm all for people getting out on the water but.....
 
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