What will you do if you are out on your paddleboard and you get into difficulties - or you find someone else in difficulties? Can you communicate? It’s an essential part of SUP safety. Last summer there were several high profile rescues of paddlecraft (including paddleboards) where the paddlers had been caught out by a [...]
There’s absolutely no excuse for not knowing the weather/water condition before you go paddleboarding - it’s all right there on your phone. KNOW what strength and direction the wind is going to be. If it’s blowing offshore and strengthening, maybe consider paddling somewhere else (or not at all!). KNOW if there's any significant change in [...]
Day two of Safer Boating Week, and today it’s time to turn our SUP Safety focus to the PFD. New Zealand law says you have to have one when you are stand up paddleboarding, unless you are sup surfing. Yes folks, it’s the law. The situation is slightly complicated by the fact that some regions [...]
The government has said that exercise is permissible, and has been acknowledged as an important factor in maintaining physical and mental health through the lockdown phase - so is SUP an acceptable form of exercise? The government has said that exercise is permissible, so is SUP an acceptable form of exercise? Police Commissioner Mike Bush [...]
Beltpack PFDs are a great option for the experienced stand up paddleboarder. However, a lot of the beltpacks currently available are poorly designed or simply too expensive. NZSUP is delighted to announce that they will be working directly with top NZ lifejacket manufacturer Hutchwilco to design the next generation of beltpack PFDs specifically for stand [...]
Under NZ Maritime Law, all stand up paddleboarders are required to carry a buoyancy aid. The only exemptions to this are if the stand up paddleboarder is actively involved in surfing(negotiated by NZSUP), or in a designated competitive event where the event rules allow PFDs not to be worn (because of safety boat backup etc). [...]
Do you wear a leash when paddleboarding? Hopefully the answer is yet – your leash is your primary item of safety equipment. But did you know that the wrong type of leash for the conditions can be lethal? […]
