Paddle Boarders

[Gracie]

2 hours ago, Bikertov said:

 

I've got a copy of it you can have ... for a small fee 

Oh now Biker you promised you wouldn't tell 

Please do behave all of you, honestly x

[riverman]

Now I am but a simple dyke pirate but i can't remember a single incident of anyone ever putting themselves in serious danger, or even getting hurt or killed on a hire cruiser, day boat or private boat. Ever.

Whereas paddleboards, what a dangerous menace they are, responsible for so many fatalities on the broads. 

And there's really no downside to there restriction. After all most paddleboarders are in there twilight years and will never go on to buying a boat, buying a riverside property, joining a local club, starting a business or even just returning to the broads for a boating holiday with there family. Unlike previous new fangled things like sailing, canoeing, kayaking or rowing there'll never progress from those to other things that may help the local community or economy. 

Plus, there's no chance of a 'paddleboarding area' ever escalating into a 'no powered craft area'. Or even just an area where speed is restricted so heavily it silts up. Nobody at BA would want such a thing. 

P.S 

For those of us that work on the broads and are boating about near daily, if paddle boards are bicycles, most boaters are lost holiday makers. 

[Speleologist]

The idea of no go areas is a complete nonsense. It seems to be based on the fallacy that all SUP users would be happy to just paddle around a restricted area. As a kayaker, should I choose to travel from Coltishall to Norwich, that is a perfectly reasonable ambition. Why should no a paddleboarder be able to do the same? The comparison with cyclists and motorways is completely false. There is always an alternative route. There is nothing to stop me cycling (or walking) the length of the UK. Why should I not be free to paddleboard the length of the Broads? The only issue is the competence  of the people involved on both sides.

Confession time: I am a Stand Up Paddleboarder. I am also a sailor, motorboater, powerboate, kayaker and windsurfer. I see no reason why all these cannot co-exist. I appreciate that as a windsurfer it is unlikely that anyone would make a multi-day journey, but in all the others it is possible. I sometimes wonder if it is more a case of being opposed to thoise who are "not like us." I am very familiar with the vitriol thrown at cyclists by a subsection of motorists, but I am a cyclist, car driver, motorcyclist, pedestrian and horse rider. All have an equal right to use the roads. I firmly believe the same principle should apply on the water.

[Vaughan]

6 hours ago, Speleologist said:

I sometimes wonder if it is more a case of being opposed to thoise who are "not like us."

I wish to declare that any opposition that I have to paddle boards is entirely concerned with safety.

In all the years of my career I have been driven by the need for holidaymakers to be safe on the water.  I have even been involved myself in the writing of safety regulations - which were the first ones on the Broads.

Yes we all have our "rights" to paddle where we like but we must all have the right to expect to go boating in safety. Paddling about in the middle of the river right by Wroxham bridge, with all those cruisers, day boats and large commercial passenger vessels is simply not safe.

Even Dr Packman has just admitted that, in his roundabout way.

[Meantime]

I think the idea of "no go" areas has quite a bit of merit after all the rivers are for everyone after all.

Perhaps the Lower Ant below Ludham Bridge should be a no go area for powered boats during the three rivers race, purely on the basis of safety you understand.

Maybe the Bure from Wroxham Broad to Bridge Broad should be a no go area for powered boats on a Sunday to give Paddle boarders a chance to enjoy the area in safety.

Perhaps the Thurne from Potter Bridge to Womack Dyke should be a no go area for all vessels one morning a week to allow the anglers to enjoy their use of the waterways in peace and quiet with no river traffic disturbing their quiet enjoyment of the waterway.

But, what about our right to navigate I hear you shout! well the same is also true for ALL river users.

Personally I think anyone on the water that makes other boaters have to think about their speed, slow down to lessen their wash is a good thing. If anything perhaps the stretch from Wroxham Broad to the bridge should be 3mph, rather than 4mph.

[Gracie]

Who are not like us......We are all equal.

We are all the same when it comes to enjoying our rivers and I am sure we are all the same in wanting to enjoy them safely. It's all ready been said how some paddle boarders dart out between moored boats etc. It's been said by Mark I think that his grandchildren have had tuition and rightly so but unfortunately not all people are as safety minded. There are parents where I work who's children wanted a paddle board to use on our beach in the summer holidays so they got one simple as that. No training, no rules, nothing, A tragedy waiting to happen, I suppose when, and when, not if it does everyone will be up in arms shouting how something needs to be done

I've had my say, I am done with this x

 

[Smoggy]

Nothing in life is safe though be it walking driving motorcycling boating drinking whatever, it may be fairly safe but not completely safe, much the same as paddleboarding, just advertise the hazards and let the person choose their comfort level.

How can anyone expect to place restrictions on an unpowered group of people in a place where use of motorised vehicles is completely unlicenced, common sense says it would go the other way and all the dangerous dayboats would be restricted to make it safe for what are effectively  pedestrians of the water, and none of us want motorboat restrictions.

The whole thing about cyclists on motorways is utter stupidity, more like pedestrians on any back road and you are never going to ban them.

Let's just share the rivers like adults and accept the risks as we do in every thing else in life.

Darwinism has a lot going for it, I'm amazed I'm still alive to be fair.....

[AndyTBoater]

OK - so this is taken from the following website (other sources of information are available)

https://www.itiwit.co.uk/stand-up-paddle-rules-and-regulations

"SUP: the rules of priority in rivers. In rivers and enclosed bodies of water, the SUP is considered as a small craft: it must therefore move out of the way of all boats longer than 15 m (barges, cruisers). Again, sailboats must be given priority; however, a motorized craft of less than 15 m is obliged to manoeuvre around and away from you."

So, a bit like cyclists, it would be my fault if I hit them whilst driving a car.

I would suggest that, in general,  paddle boarders who are quite "into it" would be safer than people who buy a board from Lidl middle aisle or hire/borrow one and use them infrequently. (other opinions are also available but speaking as a BSUPA Paddleboard instructor my viewpoint wins )

I did want to make another point but cant be bothered now. 

[Vaughan]

Well well!

So serious users of SUPs already have their own rules of practice, which include restrictions on areas of ports and waterways where they must not paddle.  Very interesting.

I was also interested to read that when on a waterway, a SUB meeting another one will give way to the left, "just as you do on the road".  Which is contrary to COLREGS and local bye-laws.

I also note the difference between a vessel of over 15m or under 15m. Broads boats already have a beam restriction of 12' 6" and hire boats are restricted to 15 metres.  For reasons which start to become obvious.

Restrictions on navigation and the type of vessel already exist and have done for "donkey's years" .  They just need to be up- dated and considered, in the light of a new sport activity which is very new to the Broads area.

Let's keep talking!  At least no-one has been killed.

Yet.

[Smoggy]

So where exactly do those rules come from and what legal status? I can't imagine a manufacturers list of rules over rides colregs or local bylaws.

They sound to me more like advice/guidelines than rules.

[rightsaidfred]

"Paddle boards are considered vessels or boats, and as such are subject to the same boating laws of registration and safety regulations."

Surely on the Broads this simply puts them in the same classification as all other non-powered craft and these are the only rules that apply, any advice from other bodies while helpful for safety reasons is only advice not a binding requirement on anybody SUP user or other classes of river user.

Fred

[TheQ]

3 hours ago, AndyTBoater said:

OK - so this is taken from the following website (other sources of information are available)

https://www.itiwit.co.uk/stand-up-paddle-rules-and-regulations

"SUP: the rules of priority in rivers. In rivers and enclosed bodies of water, the SUP is considered as a small craft: it must therefore move out of the way of all boats longer than 15 m (barges, cruisers). Again, sailboats must be given priority; however, a motorized craft of less than 15 m is obliged to manoeuvre around and away from you."

So, a bit like cyclists, it would be my fault if I hit them whilst driving a car.

I would suggest that, in general,  paddle boarders who are quite "into it" would be safer than people who buy a board from Lidl middle aisle or hire/borrow one and use them infrequently. (other opinions are also available but speaking as a BSUPA Paddleboard instructor my viewpoint wins )

I did want to make another point but cant be bothered now. 

Those quotes are totally irrelevant as the laws governing the broads are the broads regulations which are here.

https://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/boating/navigating-the-broads/byelaws-and-speed-limits

For instance this regulation applies on the broads.

19 (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) but notwithstanding

any other provision in these Byelaws the master of a power-

driven or manually propelled or quanted vessel crossing from

one side of a channel to the other side or entering a channel

from a side dyke or other waterway shall do so at a proper

time having regard to any vessels navigating along the channel

and shall give way to such vessels

[grendel]

and how many paddle boarders hirers and private owners have actually read and understood the bylaws, probably about 1% in my estimation, 

common sense must prevail and everyone should do their utmost to either keep out of each  others way or avoid doing anything that might precipitate an untoward outcome.