A steep increase in paddleboarders needing to be rescued around the UK has prompted a plea for people to consider the weather and tides before setting off.
Pandemic physical distancing measures fuelled a surge in interest in water sports, and paddleboard retailers sold out and thousands of people joined organisations such as British Canoeing as the coronavirus lockdowns eased. But the swift rise in popularity will have meant more novices at sea and a rise in the number of people getting into difficulty.
The RNLI and British Canoeing have encouraged those using kayaks, canoes or paddleboards to prioritise safety as they prepare for an increase in visitors to the coast.
A spokesperson for the lifeboat charity said there had been a 21% increase in callouts to people on paddleboards. Since 2017, the RNLI has saved 77 paddleboarders from life-threatening situations, and 32 of those were last year. Many more lives of kayakers and canoers were saved last year than in 2021.
Vince Jones, a mechanic for the RNLI in Anglesey, north Wales, said they had been inundated with calls to help paddleboarders. “Many of our calls are to people being blown out to sea in offshore winds. We ask people to think carefully about the weather and tides before setting off and ensure they have a means of calling for help,” Jones said.
Guy Lowdes, an experienced coastal kayaker, was rescued in December after getting into difficulty while kayaking with a group of 10 others in Anglesey. He said his kayak was capsized by a rogue wave.
“The tide pushed me one way and my boat the other, I must have been in the water about 20 minutes,” he said. His friend had a personal locator beacon with him and was able to call for help, and a rescue operation including a helicopter and two lifeboat crews was launched.
“I was starting to feel incredibly cold and poorly despite wearing a drysuit,” Lowdes said. “I’m convinced if I’d have been there any longer with the failing light, we may never have been found.”
This month at Three Cliffs Bay in Swansea, RNLI volunteers rescued an exhausted paddleboarder pushed out by strong winds. In May, a British man in Greece died after reportedly being struck by lightning while paddleboarding off the coast.
Last year, crews in Anglesey rescued 37 people taking part in paddle sports, compared with six in 2021. Elsewhere in north Wales, a 24-year-old woman died last July after becoming trapped underwater while paddleboarding.
Lee Pooley, the director of coaching and qualifications at British Canoeing, said: “Paddlesport is such an accessible and fun activity, with significant benefits to mental and physical wellbeing. The UK has some outstanding waterways and coastline to explore, we just want everyone to take care and be safe whilst they enjoy their paddle.”
Records have been falling as more people take up the sport. A Norfolk woman, Samantha Rutt, broke the Northern Ireland to Scotland paddleboard record last year, making the crossing in little more than five hours.
This month two men, David Haze and Joe Cartwright, set a new record for tandem paddleboarding down the River Thames – 129 miles, from Lechlade in Gloucestershire to Teddington, south-west London – in almost 34 hours.
How to stay safe
Check websites such as Surf-Forecast or speak to lifeguards for a specialist local forecast. One common and deceiving danger is how calm the waters may appear.
Bring a waterproof pouch for your phone. You can also take a personal locator beacon.
Wear a buoyancy aid such as a lifejacket or a personal flotation device.
Attach a leash to the board so that in the event of falling off, the board cannot drift far.
Tell others of your plans. Even if you’re in a group, make sure people on shore know.
Paddle within your abilities.
