I'm sure Clay wont mind me copying his post from the Zone here...Interesting stuff I think....Has anyone here had any hassles...yet?

DJ

I've been following the post on PFD requirements from several months ago and have been keeping my fingers crossed... never a problem when I'm sup'ing on the coast of course but I was finally busted here on our lake yesterday.

The Lake Patrol guy was a walking rules machine... He approached me in his boat: "where are you headed?".... WHAT has that got to do with anything, I don't know...

...anyway, he told me I had to to "paddle home." Dammit! I was hoping to avoid the same PFD fight we went thru in the early 80s in windsurfing (and WON because sailboard sails become sea anchors and don't fly away from a downed sailor AND the board cannot sink)...

...I first attempted a comeback with: "but this is a sailboard (well, it COULD be a sailboard) and sailboards are exempt right?"...
"That's an exception, but you don't have a sail," was the answer...

..."But whenever I go to the coast on this board nobody wears a PFD," was try #2...

..."the ruled on the coast are different."

....when I got home, paddle between my legs, BUMMED after years of surfing and NEVER wearing a friggin' PFD that they are required, my hardcore New England yankee girlfriend Joyce said, "Make 'em show it to you in writing that sup paddlers are required to wear PFDs."

I guess it's not the end of the world, but SHE tried a PFD a couple months ago out of curiosity and it chaffed the hell outta her armpits like those cheap rubber wetsuits used to do when surfing.

Attaching 'em to the board is the only way to go... IF indeed this cannot be fought.

... we'll see what happens.
See ya dodging the fuzz on the freshwater and stoked to NOT be wearing the preserver on the coast,
-Clay
[email protected]

Why dont you do it JB? youve got heaps of spare time up your sleeve! hahaha

Hi JB

I'll put my hand up to help you, but remember I'm in Coffs Harbour, Let me know.

Rod

I've been pulled up by the water police on Sydney Harbour (west) before for being too far from the shore (30m from the shore maybe) but they didn't say I needed a PDF. They were only worried about my lack of visibility and therefore being run down by a government river-cat ferry. Fair enough.

I don't see how attaching a PDF to your board is going to help much. Eventually they'll try to book you if they see you more than once doing that.

From "Sailboarding in the waters of Sydney" document on www.waterways.nsw.gov.au

Safety equipment
Sailboard riders are required to wear a lifejkacket or
personal flotation device (PFD) when more than 400
metres from the nearest shore. However, riders are
advised to wear such a vest at all times.

When training for the paddle leg of an adventure race last year I looked into the PFD question and was told by the Vic water police that I should be wearing one,
however the loophole is that if you are in official training for an event, not required.
Now I am always in training, problem solved.

We can class our sport as surfing, or a surf craft. Surfboard riders do not wear PDF's, nor do clubby paddlers or distance prone/knee paddlers

I don't really see this as an issue in Australia yet. However, I think if you were to go about pushing for some sort of ruling the beurocrats will just say you have to wear one - it's the easiest decision for them to make. That said it may a good idea to have a paddle boarders association in order to publish safety guidelines, gather information about the sport and develop a code of conduct etc.

The only other way I can see pfds becoming an issue for us is if some kook dies doing an ill thought out long distance paddle way off shore.

in WA if your supping 400m from the coastline u need a
pfd type 1
4 flares
and a friggin anchor

Hmmm, still only an issue if you are caught and successfully charged. Don't think that's happened to anyone on a sub yet, and is unlikely to happen, unless you are a smart arse and give the police a reason to nab you.

Anyway this doesn't apply to me cause I'm in training

If you are going to be paddling in the open ocean and especially on the big downwinder boards than you have to have a bit of common sense and do a risk assessment before you go. Suss out the weather warnings, tides and what could go wrong etc. There have been conditions where I have worn a PFD + a fin belt to cover the 'what ifs'. I also know of some paddlers that do wear navigation lights when they do their evening paddle not because they have to but so other boats don't mow them down!

Ive found a similar story in France via the gong sup team :

A rider who prefer keep his name secret had an amazing adventure with cop yesterday.
He was cruising along the coast when cops on their boat stopped him. They told him that he doesn’t have to do it. The rider explained him he is like a surfer so he is alowed to paddle were he wants except on swin zones.
Cops were angry about it. They wanted to consider the SUP like a kayak, a windsurf, a wakeboard, anything they know... But in France SUP is managed by the french Surf association, so it is surf !!!
In the same time, on the cops boat, they were childs going for a fishing party with them !!! Since when french cops can do it ! No comments.

The french original version of this story sounds more hilarious.

We are already screwed over here - there are a lot of inland lakes in England but most are run by water companies so they make the rules.

I live close to 3 huge reservoirs we cannot paddle on because of fishing rights, if I drive the 25 miles to the nearest accessible lakes I pay about £5-10 for a day and am forced to wear a PFD and carry proof of third party insurance (not a prob because I have the latter for windsurfing and it makes sense).

Other nearby lakes are overseen by sailing clubs whose rules often exclude windsurfing, canoes, kayaks and will, when they discover them, no doubt include SUPs too.

The relatively newly formed SUPA over here needs some more weight before we can start to push back at the petty bureaucrats - but then again this country is the epitome of a nanny state.

Fight them all the way!

We are very lucky in Oz.

I think it's more a case of being unlucky in England. Being able to freely enjoy a lake or a beach should be a right not a privilege.