Over the last several weeks I have had two questionable encounters with stand up paddlers while operating my boat in the lowcountry creeks. The first encounter occurred a few weeks ago when a group of paddlers pulled off of a dock right in front of me to cross the river. This group forgot the cardinal rule or simply chose not to ?look both ways before crossing!? The concerning part of this was the groups guide was in the middle of the pack and he yelled at me to slow down. Since when do you step out into live traffic and yell at someone one to slow down just before you get run over?
The second encounter occurred as I was coming home in the dark on the river after an evening Tarpon fishing trip. I was running with my navigation lights on and spotlight in hand. As I rounded the corner I was fortunately able to pick up the silhouette of a paddler in the middle of the channel. The paddler had no light, no reflective material on, nothing to identify himself in the dark. Had I not been able catch him against the skyline I would have possibly run him right over.
I am all about sharing our waterways and do some paddling myself from time to time. Simply put there needs to be more frequent reminders to those on SUPs that the rules apply to them so that they may operate safely and in my opinion guides should be required to take some type of course as well much like we require a fishing guide to be a licensed captain. To help with the process Boat US put together the following article last month and I thought it would be good to share.
August 19, 2015 - NEWS from BoatUS
Boat Owners Association of The United States
Paddle vs. Prop: Three Safety Tips for Stand Up Paddlers When Boats are Around
Using a stand up paddleboard in a congested harbor requires an increased focus on safety.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. August 19, 2015 ? When it comes to enjoying the outdoors, stand up paddleboarding (SUP) has led the nation in growth with a 38 percent increase in participation from 2013 to 2014, according to the Outdoor Fo