Dynamic Risk Assessment

A dynamic risk assessment is something we all do every day. Getting on the water is no different: we assess the things that can hurt us or go wrong (the hazards), the impact of the outcome if that hazard were to happen (from a time consuming annoyance to certain death and destruction), and the likelihood of that risk occurring. Impact x Likelihood = Risk.  Then we work out the mitigating factors that we can take to keep the level of risk we are willing to take within an acceptable threshold.

Erring on the side of caution when going onto the ocean doesn't make us wimps, it increases our chances of a fab, fun successful day on the water, able to cope if conditions deteriorate, avoiding trouble or calling people out to help us, and most importantly wanting to get back out there for more in the future. 

Then, when things do go wrong, we know why, what we can do to reduce the damage, and get ourselves and others to safety.  

External Environment

So much can be done at home and in the car park prior to getting on the water. It doesn’t take long to do your homework prior to getting the boat on the car roof, to understand the local - 

  • Tides
  • Winds
  • Wave patterns
  • Flows in estuaries
  • Other water traffic – you are going to be one of the smallest, least visible vessels and you need to give wide berths to ferries, power boats, yachts, kite surfers and swimmers etc
  • Weather conditions 
  • Daylight hours 

Apps that have been recommended to us include (always keen to learn more!):

  • Windy
  • Surfers Against Sewage – for water quality and recent sewage spills

More time preparing, less time despairing.

Personal Safety

The kit has come a long way to be lightweight, comfortable, quality so long lasting, and relatively inexpensive when compared to your safety, so there are no excuses when it comes to being prepared. Just as it is now normal to wear a helmet on a bike or snow skis, it is the norm to wear a PFD when paddling. A lot of work has been done to make ski race regulations uniform and we recommend the same kit is used in training:

  • PFD
  • Leg leash
  • Comms
    • Take a phone - in a decent, tested waterproof pouch, that you can use through the plastic, with useful numbers on speed dial, that you know how to use (without your glasses with cold hands!), batteries fully charged. You may want a push button burner phone instead of your smart phone. And check the signal for the area you are in. 
    • VHF radio, tested and fully charged, and set to the local call channel (usually 16 in the UK).  
  • PLB – personal location beacon. Many have SOS buttons.
  • Whistle
  • Inhalers / personal medication
    Mike Lambert wearing Vaikobi VXP PFD with hydration pouch and a PLB. He's also carrying a VHF radio and mobile phone, and in the hatches of his V8 GT has everything he needs to stay safe as he curcumnavigates GB. July 2024.

     Shop for safety kit here 

    The right gear for the conditions

    • Buy decent kit and it will last – we tried so many different brands and can't beat Vaikobi for comfort, quality and being fit for purpose. We like it so much that we now sell it! 
    • We recommend Coco Loco wetsuit shampoo to extend the life of your neoprene, using good bacteria to munch the bad, restrict the smell, and keep the neoprene in good condition.
    • Layers - Keeping at a good temperature allows you to think straight particularly if conditions change or something happens. Not too hot, not too cold, allowing for rapidly changing conditions particularly in the UK. Layers allows you to adapt on the water. We’ve tried so many brands, and liked Vaikobi so much we are now the UK’s largest stockist. It’s versatile, comfortable, designed for paddling, lasts and looks good.
    • Carry a cagoule – the wind chill very quickly changes things particularly if you come off your ski.
    • A hat for sun protection or warmth.
    • Suntan lotion / zinc stick. Don't underestimate the power of UV on the water. 
    • You don’t want much gear in the front pockets of your PFD as this will restrict your ability to remount when you tip off. You shouldn’t need much with you, and we have found the hatches or the Red Paddle Deck Bag is perfect for day tripping and easy access on the water.

    Minimising risk, preventing the trouble

    Having the right ski – you are going to have more fun, use less energy, go further and faster on a more stable ski. It also means being safer. We are often asked which is the fastest ski – skis go as fast as you can paddle. If every fourth or fifth stroke is a balance stroke to keep you upright you are wasting that stroke and therefore expending energy unnecessarily.

    Increase your stability, make every effort count, catch bigger waves to let the water do your work, enjoy (and extend) the downwind surf moments. That enables you to go out in bigger conditions and catch more waves and more yeehaw moments (Tarifa aficionados know exactly what I mean).

    Taking out a wobbly ski increases your stress levels, you’ll paddle less well, spend more time in the water getting cold, it’s harder to remount, it goes wrong very quickly. You’ll have a bad experience and scare yourself or your loved ones on the shore. You’ll go out on the water less as you’ll be waiting for the “perfect” conditions, rather than going out whenever you want to in your precious free time. Take a step back, trade in the ski for a more stable FASTER ski, and get out there and have fun. 

    Other tips:

    • Learn how to remount and practice each time you go out, so you can do it in all conditions.
    • Paddling in pairs makes sense. When paddling in a group buddy up in pairs – it is astounding how quickly groups get separated and how quickly you lose visibility of the group. Regular stops to re-group, faster paddlers circle-ing round a mixed ability group (satelliting) all prevent trouble. With unseen faster flows of water even paddlers of similar abilities quickly get spread out and lose each other with troughs and peaks of waves making it impossible to rely on line of sight.
    • Just as in hill walking letting people know where you are, your route plan and your estimated time of return only takes a simple text message.
    • For longer adventures informing the coastguards of your intended route passage is standard practice.
    • Consider carrying a tracker for long trips – we recommend Geotracks – good value and reliable and doesn’t rely on a mobile phone network.

     Transporting your ski  

    The vast majority of boats that are brought back to us for repair have been damaged off the water. The bus that drove into a parked car with a ski on top was the extreme example, but skis flying off roof bars on the motorway are sadly too common! Either the rack was not fitted properly, was sub-standard, came loose or the boats were not tied down. We have done it! But only once. 

    • We recommend and sell Farley Sports V Bars, using a decent roof bar system to attach the V Bars to. Thule roof bars are the best - put your number plate into the Halfords website to find the best fitting Thule cars for your vehicle. We stock different fittings so it is worth investing time and money into getting a properly fitted rack.
    •  Be systematic when transporting boats:
      • Tie the boat on as soon as you put it on the V Bars – it's too easy to get distracted and forget to go back, or the sudden gust of wind will lift the boat – we’ve all done it. It’s expensive and dangerous.
      • The driver should get into the habit of checking every boat before driving off. Collecting pieces of boat off the verge is a sobering experience.
    Carrying your ski

    We have learnt the hard way- 

    • Two people ideally to carry the ski, particularly in any wind.
    • When you put the ski down on the beach make sure it is facing into the wind, and always held if is windy enough to be picked up by a gust.
    •  Trolleys work really well for heavier boats – we sell RUK trolleys which are robust, lightweight, pack into the V7 or V8 hatch, and are quick to fit.

    Storing your ski

    • V Bars on the wall, slings from the garage roof on pulleys, boat stands or racking (astro-turf or carpet works well as protection on bars) - there are numerous and inventive solutions.
    • Ideally your ski will be protected from wind, flying debris and UV, either inside or under a shelter or tarpaulin but still breathable .
    • Boat socks should be breathable and do a lot to protect the ski skin from damaging UV rays.
    • Take the hull bung out when not on the water to allow for warm air expansion (don’t forget to put it in before paddling!).

    Damage

    Check your ski after you paddle – any small dinks or chips should be fixed before they allow further water ingress into the inner fabric of the boat. Particularly vulnerable are the rudders and noses. Accidents happen, it means you’ve been out and about having adventures!

    Before you paddle check the rudder is aligned straight, lines show no signs of wear, peddles are working freely, your paddles are in working order (its worth rinsing off sand and salt around the ferrel after paddling in split paddles).

    And even if after doing all of the above it doesn’t feel right go and grab a coffee – there’s always another day on the water.