RNLI writing to major retailers in wake of paddleboarder's death in Cornwall
Our safety campaign around leashes has taken a major step forward
Major retailers are once again being urged to sell two types of paddleboarding leash as standard and to provide more safety information at the point of sale following the death of a holidaymaker in Cornwall.
42-year-old Simon Flynn drowned in 2020, after his ankle leash got trapped underneath a boat mooring in the Camel Estuary.
It is believed a quick-release waist belt would have allowed Simon to get free in the moving tidal water, with a coroner later describing it as an "issue for manufacturers to look at".
Now the RNLI is writing to major retailers, calling on them to include safety advice when they sell boards.
The government has also said it is a keeping a 'watching brief' on our paddleboard campaign and says it wants to see changes.
In March Pirate FM and Greatest Hits Radio, Simon's best friend Sam Foyle and Simon's MP Alex Chalk brought the industry together in Parliament to talk leash safety - and to try and agree more joint safety messaging ahead of this Summer.
Mr Chalk and the minister for sport - along with other MPs - have since met to discuss the issue and are now taking a 'watching brief' ahead of a second industry summit next month in Poole at the headquarters of the RNLI.
Before the event at Parliament in March, fewer than one in 10 retailers provided both a quick-release waist belt and an ankle leash as standard with new boards .
Currently different brands have different safety messaging and there is no joint industry message - with some retailers not providing any leash safety information at all.
The RNLI, which has seen the number of SUP rescues rise in recent years, and British Canoeing, which is applying to be recognised as the sports governing body, are now writing to major non-water-sport-specific retailers asking them to improve information at the point of sale.
They already have a partnership with Lidl and Decathlon, where leaflets with a QR code linking to safety information are provided with sales of new boards.
Paddleboarding is the UK's fastest growing water sport and is seen as very accessible as, unlike surfing, users don not usually require a formal lesson to learn how to stand up.
It is believed people buying from established water sports providers are able to get safety advice at the point of sale, with outlets usually looking to build up a relationship with customers.
It is hoped that following the letters, more non-water sports specific retailers will include links to the guidance and also information about where to get a lesson and why it would be helpful.
British Canoeing is also releasing a new 'SUP Safer' two-hour course at the start of July, which those new to the sport can access through around 1,000 UK providers, offering advice on leashes, planning trips and safety tips.
The course offers advice on leashes, planning trips and safety tips. British Canoeing already runs a 'paddle safer' short course, which one provider has given for free to 111 people, and say they are 'not placing a monetary value on the course to try and make it as accessible as possible'.
Andrew McConkey, from McConks SUP, already supplies both an ankle leash and a quick-release belt as standard and attended our Parliamentary event in March.
McConks SUP is now providing a voucher to get a SUP safety lesson with new boards:
British Canoeing is also releasing new SUP leash safety advice videos in the coming weeks to help simplify the guidance and try to make it more accessible.
On July 19th, at the RNLI's headquarters in Poole, a second SUP industry summit is being planned, with guests invited to discuss joint safety messaging going forward and the sport's governance.
Following our meeting in Parliament in March, the UK Harbour Masters' Association have updated all their members on the British Canoeing guidance for SUP as they look to improve safety at ports.
Cheltenham MP Alex Chalk has held meetings with the sports minister about the issue of SUP safety and has confirmed he will closely watch developments at the meeting on the 19th of July in Poole.
One of the biggest reasons the RNLI are called to rescue people on a SUP, or an inflatable, is because the wind has pushed them out and they struggled to return to shore.
David Tidball, chair of the SUP technical group at British Canoeing, recently released a video highlighting the impacts of winds on a paddleboards:
Those interested in attending the meeting at the RNLI's headquarters on 19th of July should email andrew.kay@bauermedia.co.uk in the first instance and details will be passed on.
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