SURF EXPO 2021 SEPTEMBER HOW TO
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The second part is the phone calls the USCG is getting from legislators saying “What are you going to do about this problem?” The media gets tired of shark bites and an alligator chomping off someone’s buttocks and need something to dramatize. People don’t think you can die doing this.

It’s not a Darwin award, it’s as odd sounding as a person died while making toast. These are dramatic stories because they highlight people dying in ways no one thought you could die. First, there are increased media reports highlighting a new danger to fear. “Life jackets work only when you wear them.” -Water Safety Foundation educational video Why is the Coast Guard concerned if there are only 14 deaths out of 3205 total boating deaths?Īs strange as this may sound, it’s a combination of two things. Even the ones who do find out the laws, are left with a pfd on the deck of their board which obviously does nothing to protect them as the fall off the back and shoot the board downwind and out of reach. These uninformed novice and first time paddlers don’t have the benefit of a warning or even a hint of the possible perils they may face. Again, we could get into swim proficiency, health status, age, conditions, etc. Now couple the cheap equipment, purchased as easily as a gallon of milk or an AR-15, with glossy pictures of paddlers in the media and magazine ads and articles without any safety equipment, and you have a blissfully ignorant group of happy-go-lucky paddlers getting themselves into dangerous situations. They are at risk of being sued for providing equipment without educating the consumers on the potential risks of using their products. But users don’t think it takes any skill to go out.” -Jeff Hoedt, USCG “You have drawn in millions of new users. There is no one to simply say, “you will need a pfd and appropriate leash, and this is where you can access the water, this is how you treat boat traffic, look at the weather forecast and are you a strong swimmer or are you familiar with where you plan to paddle?” So many simple questions that specialty retailers talk about every day, but self-service retailers don’t have the staff or knowledge base to provide. They have no knowledge of the risks not because they are lazy, but because they don’t even consider the possibility of danger. They leave with a board and paddle with the impression that there is not only no skill or preparation involved, but that it is inherently safe and easy. The inexpensive products lower the barrier of entry, increasing the number of people out on the water.

SURF EXPO 2021 SEPTEMBER HOW TO

What is the problem?įor paddlers: the problem is with what they ingeniously called self-service retailers where people are buying boards and paddles off a rack at a big box store, unassisted and without warnings of the risks. They not only aren’t given any instruction on how to paddle safely and effectively, but also aren’t given warnings on the potential hazards. Note that this doesn’t include having a pfd on your board which is compliant with the law, but not common sense. The remaining 6 have an unknown cause of death (under investigation) and none of them are confirmed to have been wearing a pfd. Of the 14 deaths in 2016, 8 drowned, of which 7 did not have a pfd and 1 did. Next questions: “How many were wearing PFDs?” “How many were wearing leashes?” There is an investigation period where the cause of death is determined and a corresponding investigation deadline at which time any fatalities that were not related to the paddling, such as a cardiac event, are disqualified from the statistics. The USCG records the deaths as they are reported. Many of you are wondering “What about cardiac events?” In 2016 alone, we have 14 deaths and it’s only September. And with participation rising, so will the number of deaths.

However, while the actual N was small, it has tripled in the past year. From 2011 – 2015 there were 3205 boating fatalities in the US of which SUP was an extremely small percentage of those fatalities attributed to paddle sports. Jeff Hoedt from the USCG lead off with the state of boating safety statistics. “We need to take responsibility for the safety of the people in our sport.” Tyler callaway leads off the stand up Paddleboard manufacturer’s safety meeting at Friday, September 9th at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida manufacturers, media, and representatives from the Coast Guard, American Canoe and Kayak Association (ACA) and the Water Sports Foundation (WSF) met to discuss the manufacturer’s’ role in addressing the increase in injury and death while paddleboarding.

The I Love Paddling Challenge Results Page.

2021 World Ranking – Paddle Distance Challenge.

SURF EXPO 2021 SEPTEMBER REGISTRATION

Paddle Coaching Programs Overview and Registration.

Surf expo 2021 september