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Let ’ s talk SUP safety ! To sum it up , ‘ you don ’ t know what you don ’ t know ’! Unfortunately , the UK SUP scene has had incidents where individuals and groups have had difficulty on flat , open , moving , and graded water . In the context of group paddling , it is too easy to find yourself following and dependent on one or two people who might or might not have had the correct training to deal with incidents or have had the training but have not kept these skills ‘ live ’. But , if all of us had completed safety training for the environments we paddle in and practised these skills regularly in the groups we paddle with , many of these incidents would never have happened . Prevention is key !
Can you tell me about the first two of the three new WW Safety courses recently commissioned by Paddle UK in 2023 ? Introduction to WW Safety is a one-day course ( grade 2 ) that strongly focuses on individuals looking after their own personal safety within a peer paddling group . We practise the many different ways of swimming down moving water . This is excellent training for WW SUP because it includes when it is appropriate to go back to your board , when not , when to aggressively or defensively swim , and when to leave your board and swim to the bank . I don ’ t think many people have thought about this , but it is important now we are not using leashes .
The intro ’ is an excellent course for paddleboarders who are primarily paddling slow-moving water ( ungraded ) but are starting to think about or perhaps have already experienced paddling more dynamic water , including estuaries or rivers ( for example , the Wye ) where small sections are more demanding . And now recognise they need to upskill . And , of course , it ’ s excellent for WW SUP ’ ers whether you are new to the sport , looking for a refresh , or wanting some guidance .
WW Safety is a two-day course which builds on our learning ( from the introductory course ) and includes river running strategies and collaborative support in a grade 2 ( simple 3 ) environment . Here , we emphasise how to
THE INTRO IS AN EXCELLENT COURSE FOR PADDLEBOARDERS
WHO ARE PRIMARILY PADDLING SLOW-MOVING WATER
( UNGRADED ) BUT ARE STARTING TO THINK ABOUT OR
PERHAPS HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED PADDLING MORE DYNAMIC WATER , INCLUDING ESTUARIES OR RIVERS
avoid difficult situations that develop in the first place by increasing safety awareness and how a group should prepare in advance for paddling in a dynamic and challenging environment .
What can we do to avoid difficult situations developing ? By switching our group mindset from ‘ something MIGHT happen ’ on this rapid to ‘ something is GOING to happen ’, we immediately start talking to each other and acting proactively as a team . Rather than starting on the back foot , running features blind , and then having to react to a quickly developing incident , we approach the day ahead with awareness .
This means that before getting on the water , we take the time as a group to ask each other questions . Are we prepped in terms of the safety equipment we are carrying ? Do we have an agreed-upon way of communicating that is clear and precise ? Are we ready ? And once on the water , where , if running a feature , are we standing ? Who is spotting upriver ? Who is ready at the bottom of the feature , both bankside and on the water ? And , if a situation develops , could we deal with it