VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Fully agree on personal accountability Nanmoo - but that's a different arguement competely which needs to consider discussing brain injured/killed 10 and 14-year olds. Seatbelts, carseats, and airbags have made a huge difference -- there's a place for regulation in addition to parental control.

Anyway - offtopic for BWD, to each their own, I'll wear my helmet sailing (mostly), skiing and cycling (always).

Agreed.

Now if only there was an equivilant to a helmet for shark protection...

oh but there is...bring the guy along who can't gybe consistently

I disagree that

SUPing is more dangerous than biking. Biking is one of the safest things you can do.

riding a bicycle downtown is not a safe activity dangers learning to SUP may be equivalent to learning to ride a bike.

But hey, tough to settle an argument when everyone has their own perception of risk. I think you need to be an adult too to have the correct tools to make an informed decision and....parental control?? What's that?? Not reliable in any way or form
At the end of the day you gotta draw the line somewhere where public pressure for added governed safety is concerned. The boating community is probably outraged that they have to carry all this crap when they have lifeboats, VHF, foam filled hulls, guardrails, help on board, other vessels around and all they are doing is dragging a fishing line and then see us doing loops near a reef or way offshore with just a shorty on and know we have the beach crew calling the coastguard when things go sideways....

KUS wrote:oh but there is...bring the guy along who can't gybe consistently

This explains why I was invited last year. Still have nightmares about that abondoned bouy/gybe mark at PR.

just confirming some of the comments made on this link,

from this site; http://www.facebook.com/2ndWindSports

Reminder for SUP'ers paddling on the Columbia River. ALL PADDLERS MUST HAVE THESE 3 ITEMS when paddling ($200-300 fine from Sheriff):
1) PFD/Lifejacket - Must be with you at all times on the board
2) Whistle attached to PFD - Because the Columbia is a moving body of water
3) Aquatic Invasive Species Permit on your board - Mandatory human powered craft over 10' *SEE LINK for purchasing permit on-line

(hmmm, on the last point, and we're worried about a quick death on the highway or in gulp, JAWS?)

If you think the SUP pfd laws are dumb and using a leash makes more sense, then send a message to Transport Canada:

http://www.paddlefortheplanet.ca/pfd/

I can just imagine the Coast Guard out at JR ticketing all the SUPers...

bwd wrote:If you think the SUP pfd laws are dumb and using a leash makes more sense, then send a message to Transport Canada:

http://www.paddlefortheplanet.ca/pfd/

Thanks BWD - done...

Sent...

My one fear about this initiative goes like this...

Gov official 1: we're getting lots of email from these SUPers saying that a leash improves safety. They want to drop the PFD.

Gov official 2: hmmm... well, keep the PFD. and add the requirement of the leash to the SUP regulations.

i read the entry form for 'board the fiord': pfd plus leash. seems to be the logical way to go.
for the 'pants with suspenders' types

done
I didn't bother adding the pdf file, and nattered about the risks of not being able to duck-dive while wearing a pfd, etc. I also added this, which wasn't articulated in the original:

I would also point out that paddleboards – without pfds – have been the vessel of choice for virtually all lifeguards on ocean beaches around the world (with jetskis now taking over that role where financially viable). The paddleboard is in itself an excellent lifesaving device, provided the user does not become separated from it.

Hard to believe we actually pay people to dream up such idiotic regulations. And once they are dreamed up, just try and change them. Then we pay other people to enforce them.

Illogical regulation just breeds disrespect for the law. It turns law abiding citizens into scofflaws. It allows over zealous enforcers the ability to raise revenue by enforcing the rules. Because some of the enforcement officers can't be bothered (bike helmets) or realize they don't make sense these regulations are randomly and arbitrarily enforced. This breeds more disrespect for the law and law enforcement.

So this about way more than a pfd!

What ever happened to people assuming the risks of their own sporting activities.

I did send the bureaucrats an email. Hope it works but I doubt it.

eastside wrote:Illogical regulation just breeds disrespect for the law. It turns law abiding citizens into scofflaws.

Well said Eastside, I can definitely agree as more and more regulation (useful or not) encroaches on our lives the more I find myself wanting to give it the finger just cause.

Interesting that a petition is going through to CMAC- thats great- mabye we will get a change in policy in a few years.
A 200$ fine is a little steep.
From my perspective, I am in favor of some sort of PFD ( not a lifejacket) but would add a distance clause like
"when the paddler is greater than .2 nm from shore a PFD is required"


It's too bad you couldnt regulate for thermal protection in cold waters- because around here you really need protection from cold water shock if you fall in repeatedly.. and you can use your board for flotation, but obviously your board wont keep you warm..when you get into conditions which prevent you from getting back to shore/ staying on your board.

I think it will end up as mandatory PFD's and a leash to the paddler. As the arguement from paddleforplanet says that a PFD on board the craft is useless, I imagine Transport Canada will require that users wear their PFD and in doing so will not have to carry the other safety equipment that pertain to human powered craft.
T
(P.s. its Transport Canada that makes this stuff up, not Coast Guard. We have to follow some their unusual regs as well- stuff that makes even less sense than this issue and drives us crazy at work)

ToesideT wrote:(P.s. its Transport Canada that makes this stuff up, not Coast Guard. We have to follow some their unusual regs as well- stuff that makes even less sense than this issue and drives us crazy at work)

my personal favorite is still the fire axe on board of all the steel vessels