Sea Kayaking Safety

Updated 9/7/09

A Test of Safety Equipment

In 2007 a test was done in Auckland relating to the visibility of kayakers. The report from that test is in this document Kayak_Safety Equipment 2007.pdf

Those participating were Auckland Harbour Office, Environment Waikato, Maritime New Zealand, Coastguard Northern Region and Auckland Canoe Club.

KASK Safety Initiatives

Following a grim 2003/04 paddling summer, with two sea kayakers drowning, another killed in a collision with a power boat and several offshore rescues that were ever so close to joining the fatality statistics, KASK developed two major safety initiatives:

Database of all sea kayaking incidents.

This started with a focus on incidents involving death, injury or rescue. First analysis of the database shows that many serious incidents, involving solo paddlers or groups, were caused by paddlers being caught by strong offshore winds. A critical factor in many incidents was the failure to carry any appropriate signalling device for calling in a rescue, such as day/night flares, VHF radio or mobile phone.

Safe Sea Kayaking brochure

KASK identified a need for a safety publication well over a year ago and the above results certainly justified this. The objective was to highlight best safety practices for novice paddlers. With the content and format from KASK, with considerable input from the KASK Committee into this publication. This was also significantly supported by Water Safety New Zealand, with a grant towards the printing of the publication and administrative support.

A Basic Guide To Safe Sea Kayaking ~ October 2004. Is a six page glossy brochure which promotes safe and enjoyable sea kayaking. It is a free publication. The first two pages detail kayak and equipment terms, what clothing should be worn and what emergency signalling devices should be carried. Two pages list what skills are necessary, both before launching and on the water. The final page advises people not to become a statistic, promotes KASK's aims, and the 146 page KASK handbook, Manual for Sea Kayaking in New Zealand. Cathye Haddock, author of the Mountain Safety Council, Mountain Safety Manual, Outdoor Safety. Risk Management for Outdoor Leaders, advises this brochure, is now 'best practice' for beginning safe sea kayaking in NZ.

KASK and Water Safety New Zealand both aim for widespread distribution of this brochure.

• To support it being given with every new sea kayak sold in New Zealand.
• To ensure that it is available to retail outlets.
• To promote it to teaching identities such as polytechs, so that it reaches outdoor students and education outside the classroom, for use as a teaching tool.

Click here to download your FREE Safe Seakayaking Brochure (842KB).

Emergency Communications

Buying a VHF radio

The most important thing to do, having removed your new radio from its box, is to switch it to the International setup. There are usually the options UIC. U is for use in the USA, C is for use in Canada and I is for use in the rest of the world. If you don't do this, on some channels, you will not hear a reply to your call.

EPIRBs Old and New

The "old" EPIRBs will be obsolete by February 2009. Well, yes and no! All EPIRBs transmit on 121.5 MHz, it's just that the new ones also transmit on 406 MHz as well. An old one will still work though to a limited extent. All aircraft monitor 121.5 MHz and will continue to do so. The frequency, 121.5 MHz, is the one that all craft will use to home in on your position. If you can alert an aircraft directly with the old EPIRB, or using another communications device, call for help, that old EPIRB will still be useful as a homing-signal generator.

If you paddle in conditions and places where the best emergency equipment might be crucial, buy a new 406 MHZ EPIRB with GPS.

If you have an old EPIRB and are going to buy a new one, give the old one away to someone who wouldn't otherwise have or buy one and doesn't paddle in the "extreme" conditions and places that you do.

If you are paddling regularly and want or need to "call home" to keep people up to date with your position or condition and want an emergency call device with GPS tracking then look at SPOT. It costs $NZ349 and $US150 a year registration fee (check these prices for changes). This is cheaper, if you use its message feature regularly, than a new EPIRB. It has the advantage of pre-programmed "I am OK and this is where I am" messages as well as "I have a problem, tell 'Fred' and this is where I am" to "I need help immediately and this is my position".

Finally and most importantly, two items - water proofness and batteries.

You need to keep your cell phone dry. Cell phone drybags can be bought for as little as $5.00 at places like Mitre10. Your VHF radio might be rated as waterproof but a drybag keeps the stress off the seals and might improve the long term make reliability.

It is no good having the best emergency communications device available if the batteries are flat. Check your cell phone and VHF batteries every time you head out paddling. Better still, make it a routine that they go on charge the night before.

Also check the Web Resources page under New Zealand Emergency Equipment Suppliers.

Trip Planning

Float Plan

When filled out, this form will give anyone looking for your paddling group, some idea of the area you may be in, expected time away and number in the group. To be left with a contact or on one of the cars in a plastic bag, accessible if needed.

Click here to download a Float Plan (51KB)

Important Safety Notice

ARC Bylaw ~ Visibility of kayaks and paddle craft
Effective from 1 July 2008

Clause 2.17 Auckland Regional Council Navigation Safety Bylaw 2008

1. Every kayak and paddle craft that is navigating in waters beyond 200 metres from shore shall ensure they are highly visible to other vessels. This shall include:

(a) wearing a high visibility vest or high visibility PFD; and

(b) use of reflecting tape on oars or paddles and also on clothing; and

(c) at night, showing a continuous white light visible in all directions from a distance of two nautical miles.

Comments -

(a) Black was found, over 60 years ago, to be the most visible colour in certain lighting conditions!
The bylaw does not state what is considered a high visibility colour.

(b) There are no specifications for size or positioning of the reflective tape!

Other Safety Items

Decklines

At a recent forum, during rescue practice, it was noticed how many kayaks had decklines fitted that were too tight to be grasped or used for holding on to the rescued kayak. It is better to have lines too loose than too tight. The lines on many models of kayaks are set up tight in the showroom but need to be set up ready for use by the user. They should be loose enough to allow an arm between the line and deck. This will allow a rescuer to thread their arms through a line on each side of the kayak, rest their weight on the deck, thus locking themselves on to the rescued kayak so it cannot capsize in either direction.

Another use is with one arm looped through the deckline by the cockpit while rigging a paddle float. This will keep the paddler in contact with the kayak and still allow the use of both hands.

There are some models of kayaks without any decklines, the Contour being the worst offender. A smooth plastic hull is impossible to hold when the paddler is in the water. If bungies are fitted, they are not a secure method of holding on to a kayak.

Paddle securing straps for paddle-float recovery

Paddle securing straps mounted on each side aft of the cockpit for securing the paddle during a paddle-float recovery must be adjusted before leaving the shore. They are not easy to adjust and would cause excessive delays if you try to adjust them at sea while trying to fit the paddle.

Leapfrogging and John Wayne - self rescues

One of the self rescue methods often referred to is the John Wayne method and the implication that cowboys leaped on to their horses over the back. They do if they are the Lone Ranger and Tonto as sometimes seen on a TV commercial in 2004. Note that John Wayne did not play the part of the Lone Ranger and this part was played, for the film and TV versions by Clayton Moore, John Hart and Klinton Spillsbury. The TV series opened with a few bars of the William Tell Overture.

A more descriptive term for the "over-the-stern" recovery would be the Leapfrog.

Of all the recovery methods, it is the least likely to succeed in conditions that made it necessary in the first place.

Long load safety flags

Recently the LTSA and the New Zealand Police Infringement Bureau revised and markedly increased infringement fees pertaining to offences relating to failing to identify an 'over-dimension' or 'projecting' load.

As of December 2003, and pursuant to section 152 of the Land Transport Act, the New Zealand Police are now actively enforcing this legislation and prosecuting drivers of vehicles who fail to display 'load flags' or 'hazard warning panel/s' where and when required.

Legislation

The New Zealand Land Transport Safety Authority states: "Loads which overhang the outside of the body or deck of the vehicle by more than one metre to the front or rear, or more than 200mm to the left or right side need to carry special warning devices attached to the overhanging end(s)…/ vehicles may carry loads which are higher, longer or wider than the dimensions of the vehicle itself provided that the vehicle doesn't exceed the maximum permitted dimensions for that class and type of vehicle."

During the hours of daylight, there must be either:

• a clean white, or fluorescent red, orange or yellow flag, at least 400 mm long by 300 mm wide, or
• a frangible hazard warning panel, at least 400 mm long by 300 mm wide showing an orange diagonal stripe (200 mm wide) against a yellow green background, facing forwards or rearwards.

During the hours of darkness, the flags or hazard panels must be replaced with lights attached to the load as follows:

• for loads over one metre wide and extending more than one metre from the rear of the vehicle, one red lamp (facing toward the rear) on each side of load
• for loads up to one metre wide and extending more than one metre from the rear of the vehicle, one red lamp (facing toward the rear) at the centre of load
• for loads over one metre wide and extending from the front of the vehicle, one white or amber lamp (facing toward the front) on each side of load
• for loads up to one metre wide and extending more than one metre from the front of the vehicle, one white or amber lamp (facing toward the front) at the centre of load
• for loads extending more than 200 mm beyond the side of the body of the vehicle, one red lamp (facing toward the rear) on each side of the load at the rear and one white or amber lamp (facing toward the front) on each side of the load at the front.

These lights need to be clearly visible in clear weather at a distance of at least 200 metres during the hours of darkness. This applies to all vehicles, no matter when they were first registered.

Useful Kayak Safety Resources

Choosing a kayak ~ This is about British kayaks, written by an American importer, but you might find something of interest. Click here (1,066KB)

Towing ~ Describes a number of different towing setups. Click here (765KB)

Cold water paddling ~ hypothermia, suitable clothing etc. Click here (634KB)