SAFE SUPPING
What SUP riders need to know for Safe SUPping.
- Always use a Board Leash
- Write your name and phone number on your board
- Never SUP farther than you can swim
- SUP with a buddy
- Tell someone where you are going
- Wear a life vest
- Take a cell phone with you (in a waterproof bag.).
- Put your name and emergency phone number on your Board
- Do not SUP in offshore winds
Your board is your life raft:
Your own board is the closest piece of "land". Your
board is like a little floating island that can be your savior. Boards make the
best life rafts, and they are your own rescue boat, and visual signaling
device. Your board can give you floatation for extended periods of time
(several days if necessary), your board is also the best way to get back to
shore (even if you lose your paddle you can still paddle in the prone position
surfing style. Plus your huge SUP board is much more visible than just your small
little head swimming in a big ocean.
Stay with your Board:
Your Board can literally save your life, but not if you let
go of it. Unless someone finds your loose board and reads your emergency phone
number (see previous paragraph).
When you get separated from the board:
This can happen when the board leash breaks. If you get
separated try to quickly get to the board. If the board is nearby swim directly
to it, don’t worry about the paddle, the board is more important. Then you can
swim the board back to the paddle. Boards will float away quickly if there is
any wind. Boards will usually drift faster than you can swim. If the board is
drifting quickly away from you do not waste all of your energy. Instead, try to get help attract attention by shouting to
people nearby and waving your arms. Stay Calm and tread water or float if you
need to.
If the shore is nearby slowly start swimming towards shore.
Pace yourself because it might be harder to get to than you think. People can
often float for very long periods of time to conserve energy, all night if
necessary. A lot depends on your swimming skills, fitness, stamina etc.
When SUPping beware of wind:
- Do not SUP in offshore winds (blowing away from the land)
- Do not SUP in Strong Winds
Offshore winds can push you away from the shore. Even a
light wind can have a profound effect on a SUP paddler. When SUPing you may
need to paddle constantly into the wind, just to hold one steady position.
Come ashore before the wind gets too strong. The wind tends
to get stronger in the afternoons (especially on Maui),
this is due to the thermal effect of the wind, that cause the tradewinds and
the seabreeze effect.
Your Body acts like a sail:
Your body acts like a sail when you are standing on the
board. The wind pushing on your body will push you and your board along in the
direction the wind is blowing. To reduce the effect of wind on your body you
might have to kneel down to reduce your surface area to the wind. When you
kneel you reduce the amount of surface for the wind to catch so you can have
better chance of paddling against the wind. If you cannot kneel then you can
sit legs forward, if you lose your paddle you can lay down and paddle prone
(surfer style), this gives you the least surface area to the wind. Sometimes it
may be necessary to slide off the side of the board and swim the board to
shore. Hold the nose or tail and do a side stroke swimming motion. Only do this
if you have the strength to do so.
Wind on the board:
The SUP board also acts like a sail, the whole part of the
board above the water also acts like a sail. So boards will also get pushed
along by the wind. If you are trying to travel across the wind the board will
try to turn with the wind and become very difficult to steer.
When there is wind on eth side of the board you might have
to paddle constantly on the opposite side just to keep the board steering
straight.
Downwinded (blown away):
When the wind gets too strong you may not be able to return
to your starting point.
Many times people get blown off course and cannot return to
their starting place. Instead you should have a second chance exit point. A
second exit option farther downwind, in case of getting blown downwind.
If the wind is too strong just try to get back to the land.
Go across the wind towards land. You may be a long way from your starting point
but you will be on dry land, and can walk back or come and get the board later.
In any Emergency call 9-1-1:
If you are getting blown away or your buddy is getting blown
away, call 911 for emergency assistance. Tell them your location and your
description and your situation,. The 911 dispatcher will direct your
information to the appropriate responders, including lifeguards, and coast
guard and local boaters too. It is better to call before you get into an
extreme situation, and always better to start a search or rescue before dark.
Police and emergency workers do not get mad at you for calling in a problem,
they do get annoyed if they are looking for someone that is already arrived
back on shore that didn’t inform anyone.
When you get back to land:
When you reach dry land call your buddy and tell then you
are OK maybe they are out looking for you. then Emergency responders can stop
looking for you.
What to do if you find a board floating in the sea:
If you find a loose board floating in the ocean it might
mean that someone is in trouble, call 911 and look of the board also has a phone
number. Call that number too and see if you can locate the person. Give a
description of the board and the location to the 911 dispatcher. If you are in
a position to do so try to look for the person that fell off the board.
Generally SUP boards will tend to blow directly downwind. They will also get
pushed shoreward by wave action, try to search the immediate area and search
upwind from the point where you located the board. Retrieve the board if
possible. Make a note of the time and location of the board. This information
will help search and rescue efforts.
Be safe and have fun
