Surfski Safety – Its Up to You!
At TC Surfski we feel very strongly about safety and we hope that our customers do as well. The beauty of paddling is that you have almost 100% complete control over your safety. Nearly all paddling accidents could have been avoided with the right safety gear, trip planning, and training. With all of the high tech equipment today such as PFDs, dry suits, wet suits, leashes, personal EPIRBS, water proof cell phones, and VHF radios there is simply no excuse to not be safe on the water in whatever conditions you choose to paddle in.
Below are some great web sites, blogs, and videos all focusing on critical safety elements. As you progress in your surfski journey you will want to go out in bigger and bigger conditions and continue to extend the season on both ends. You owe it to yourself and your loved ones to take the time to study, practice and equip yourself to take full control of your safety on the water.
Key Items to Note:
- Paddle oriented correctly before starting the remount to ensure you can easily and quickly begin taking strokes
- Center of gravity stays low at all times
- In rough conditions you will want to mount from the upwind side of the boat
Here are some great blogs and articles discussing various aspects of safety:
- Great Blog from a group in the Pacific Northwest practicing cold water rescue techniques on their surfskis
- Excellent article by a Lake Michigan paddler discussing drysuits versus wetsuits
- This is a great article with links to some excellent and eye opening controlled experiments
- TC Surfski blog on general safety considerations
- TC Surfski blog on cold weather paddling gear options and preferences
- Great write up by Wesley Echols about a routine paddle that luckily ended without incident
- Safety forum discussions on www.surfski.info. Lots of different topics covered
- There are some really eye opening facts and great information at The Center for Cold Water Safety Website
