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Surfboard is classed as a floatation device. Therefore, there is no need for PFD's. There may be plans to class SUP as vessels. Enforcing PFD legislationsThere is no easy to find info regarding PDF's for SUP on Maritime Safety Qld. VIC provides an exemption for the operator of a SUP from the requirement to wear a PFD as long as the person is no more than 400 metres from the shore in the surf. However I believe that this exemption does not include rivers and waterways. This seems extreme & over the top.

Lets fight to sure our sport stays safe without encroaching on the 400m limit set by other states.

Just spoken in great detail to Gold coast Water Ways Authority & NSW Roads & Maritime. There is DEFINITELY NO legislation Requiring SUP riders to ware PFD's as yet. Lets keep it that way.

Also I've just had word that authorities were giving sup riders not warnings for not waring pfd's in the Brunswick river on the weekend, not sure if this is true. But sounds contradictory to the advice Ive just received above.

If anyone has any more info on this topic please feel free to comment

momasfolly said..

400 m from shore? Seems close as there are breaks further out and yet easily reachable to sort in. What about down winders?

You need to wear a PFD on pretty much every downwinder in Victoria - certainly the popular StKilda to Sandringham run is well over 400m from shore.

NOPFD4SUP said..

VIC provides an exemption for the operator of a SUP from the requirement to wear a PFD as long as the person is no more than 400 metres from the shore in the surf. However I believe that this exemption does not include rivers and waterways. This seems extreme & over the top.

I don't know where you are getting your information but it is not correct. The 400 metre exemption from wearing a PFD applies to all Victorian waters, coastal and inland, and therefore includes rivers and lakes.

PTWoody said..

momasfolly said..

400 m from shore? Seems close as there are breaks further out and yet easily reachable to sort in. What about down winders?

You need to wear a PFD on pretty much every downwinder in Victoria - certainly the popular StKilda to Sandringham run is well over 400m from shore.

NOPFD4SUP said..

VIC provides an exemption for the operator of a SUP from the requirement to wear a PFD as long as the person is no more than 400 metres from the shore in the surf. However I believe that this exemption does not include rivers and waterways. This seems extreme & over the top.

I don't know where you are getting your information but it is not correct. The 400 metre exemption from wearing a PFD applies to all Victorian waters, coastal and inland, and therefore includes rivers and lakes.

Hey Woody, I watch DJ's vids and don't see too many PFD's on those guys. Don't they do the run you mentioned.

Just asking not a criticism.

Thanks.

ET.

SWE, i haven't got the regs in front of me but i'm sure that a ski doen't need a pfd if it's in the surf zone. but you're required to wear one on inland waters like the onk, west lakes etc

new regs just came into force down here this year, you must wear a pdf at all times unless you are in the "surf zone"and also must wear a leg rope if more than 200 metres from shore, I've started wearing a "bum bag" inflatable and don't find it much of a problem and i'm sure you would need to be wearing it, not just have it attached to your board(wouldn't be much fun if you loose your board with the life jacket attached to it on a downwinder!).
The boys in blue are usually pretty good down here and i reckon if you were paddling up a small river they wouldn't bother you.

Agreed mate re not much good attached to board if you lose board , I just think my logic is what's the point allowing a bumbag inflatable when
A. It could easily unbuckle come loose and detach from the body in I guess some wild conditions or a heavy fall making it useless
B. when really in trouble and needing to get it on could take time especially when faitigued and fighting for life. that time could be the difference of living or drowning.

When a over the shoulder already all you have to do is pull one cord 1second and ready to do what it is meant to do. Or like a jetski/wakeboard jacket it's doing what it needs to do as there's no inflation required.

It just confuses me if the authorities are going to inforce a rule why would they allow a design that requires time to make it ready to use that potentially could cost a life.
It's like they think there is a danger there we need to put a ruling out but they haven't really done much research about it with trials they seem to me just put basically the same ruling as a boatie needs.

I'm all for safety though and I think it's time I purchase one as I'm doing more and more solo down winders so I need to decide what's the safest best option with out hampering my ability to paddle I guess

AndyR said..

PTWoody said...

AndyR said..

with the inflatables or any kind of PFD actually does it have to be attached to person or can it be attached to board? i.e. like you see in DJ's vids with his "crocs" under his storage straps. ?

From the point of view of an enforcement officer, I think if I came across someone trying to be a smart arse, I'd issue the fine and let them waste their own time arguing the semantics in court. As riverider says, water police and parks rangers are usually always good, and more inclined to issue warnings. But if you want to challenge their authority, they will happily write you up.

What my point ow as trying to say is I guess boaties don't have to have one on as long as it's within easy access when needed. The rules to me seem very similar to sups to boating so I wondered if that same rule applied as long as it's in quick access.

if your boat is under 6m down here you must wear a pdf at all times, we had a high rate of boat drownings down here back in the day and strict pdf regs were bought into sort it, people weren't happy to start with, but we got use to it after a while and everyone is happy with it now, the life jackets are alot more comfortable these days than 20 years ago.

very true PT. the "what if territory" is a never ending convo that could be started. don't want to go down that track..