#PaddleSafely this Summer
Jun 28, 2023
British Canoeing and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) plus partners are sharing five key safety messages to help people stay safe on the water this summer whilst participating in paddlesports.
Did you know?
- Over 7.5 million adults participated in paddlesport activities in 2022
- The popularity of stand up paddleboarding continues to increase with over 3 million adults taking part at least 1-2 times in 2022 across the UK
- RNLI lifeguards saw a 101% rise in incidents to kayaks/canoes and a 155% rise in incidents to stand-up paddleboarders in 2022 compared with 2021
- In 2022 RNLI lifeboat volunteers saw a 20% increase in call outs to stand-up paddleboarders
- From 2018-2022 RNLI lifeboat volunteers have saved the lives of 167 people who were kayaking, canoeing or stand up paddleboarding, with 56 (34%) of those lives saved in 2022
The campaign aims to raise awareness of how to stay safe on the water when planning to stand up paddleboard, kayak or canoe on any type of water - whether at the coast or inland.
The five key messages are:
- Wear a buoyancy aid / personal floatation device no matter how strong you think you are at swimming.
- Carry a means of communication on you. If you become separated from your craft, this is when you may need to call for assistance.
- Check the weather so that you can wear the right clothing and spot any weather that is dangerous to paddle in.
- Tell others of your plans so they know when you will be returning.
- Paddle within your ability and if you need to, take courses to help level up your skills.
HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS
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We are pleased to announce the second annual Student Safety & Leadership Weekend will take place October 11th-13th 2024 at Glenmore Lodge. Bookings open on Friday 17th May.
We are pleased to announce a new course date available to book for the BCAB Core Coach Training taking place online.
Mental Health First Aid Training - 20th May 2024 at Glenmore Lodge AWARD IN FIRST AID FOR MENTAL HEALTH AT SCQF LEVEL 5 (1 day course) We are delighted to be able to offer you the opportunity to complete Mental Health First Aid Training at Glenmore Lodge Monday 20th May 0830 - 1730. This will be run by Noush Duffy and Mo Samson - two experienced paddlesport coaches, Mental Health First Aid trainers and part of the Paddle Scotland Equality Groups. This Paddle Scotland course is being offered at the subsidised rate of £75 (inc. lunch and refreshments for the day). Bookings close 11 May (this has been extended) . Sunday evening accommodation at Glenmore Lodge is also available to book via the link below. We are passionate about supporting paddlesport coaches to increase knowledge in this area so you can better support the people you work with. We'd love it if you could attend. Login to JustGo Then click here to book This forms part of our longer term strategy to increase Mental Health knowledge and awareness within our coaches and leaders and will be the first of other subsidised courses to follow.
We have two upcoming training opportunities for coaches wanting to become a provider of the Paddlesport Safety and Rescue Course.
