RNLI now rescuing '200 per cent more people on paddleboards'
A new industry-backed safety campaign has been released ahead of this Summer
Last updated 18th Jun 2024
There's a plea to those buying paddleboards this summer to think safety - as the RNLI warns the number of people they're rescuing on them is up 200 per cent in five years.
Paddleboarding is the UK's fastest growing sport and 48 per cent of the 155 RNLI lifeboat launches to stand up paddleboarders in 2023 were to help people running info difficulty in strong winds or tides.
In recent years there has been a number of fatalities, including most recently GP Dr Julia Hamilton who died in May on Scotland's River Spey.
The latest safety advice campaign - a joint initiative behind the new industry backed governing body Paddle UK and the RNLI - aims to stop people running into difficulty in the first place.
Lee Pooley, Director of Coaching and Qualifications at Paddle UK, said: "We’ve listened and refined our messaging for 2024 and by including more specific research based information on offshore winds, weirs, flowing water and leashes we hope more paddlers can enjoy their time on the water and be equipped with the right knowledge and skills”.
Samantha Hughes, RNLI Water Safety Partner, added: "‘Last year, 48% of lifeboat callouts were due to people being blown or swept out to sea so it’s really important that people check the weather forecast and tide times before heading out and avoid offshore winds."
What else is happening?
In 2023 a new joint governing body for paddleboarding was officially recognised by Sport England and it is now working with the industry to look at what information and equipment should be supplied with boards.
Last Autumn retailers, safety groups and board makers all came together at a special industry summit - where it was confirmed in future there could be 'British design standards' set for paddleboards in a world first.
During the summit, Dr Loel Collins showed the results of his testing of the different types of safety leash available and this Autumn it's hoped an affordable industry-backed leash can be revealed - a design likely to be copied around the world.
In an update on that leash research, Paddle UK's Lee Pooley said: "Environments such as estuaries or slow-moving rivers have caused problems in the past and unfortunately have taken people's lives. What we are looking at are systems that will keep people safe and yes it will be world leading."
The death of Dr Hamilton in May is not the only paddleboard fatality, with the best friend of Simon Flynn long campaigning for changes after Simon drowned in Cornwall's Camel Estuary in August 2020 and the coroner said it was an 'issue for manufacturers to look at'.
Lee Pooley says a focus of the governing body - a partnership between Paddle UK and Surf England - will continue to be look at safety messaging and advice, adding: "We don't know the details of what's happened up in Scotland at the moment on the River Spey but what we need to be able to do is - once that information's come out - we need to learn from it.
"Whether a leash was involved or not it was a stand up paddleboard and sadly someone lost their life. We need to understand the details better and then we start to look at how can we prevent such tragic accidents."
Paddle UK is working with major retailers - including non traditional watersport retailers such as supermarkets - to look at how boards are sold and what advice should be supplied with them. It follows the death of Emma Louise Powell in North Wales who had read everything supplied with her board, before heading out and running into trouble almost immediately.
Where can I find industry backed paddleboarding safety and advice?
The paddlesafe 2024 campaign can be found here
Paddle UK has a wide range of advice articles for those looking to try SUP or paddleboarding which can be found here