What the club rescue crew sees on a busy Saturday, and what they wish riders knew. Staying with your kit makes you far easier to spot, and it floats better than you do.
The drill, step by step
Every drill ended with a short debrief on the beach, and each one was faster than the last.
- Signal early, not late
- Carry a hook knife
- Tell someone ashore your plan
- Practise on calm days first
The best rescue is the one you never need because you came in ten minutes earlier.
Priya Nair, Gustline crew
Practise rescues on a calm day, close to shore, with a friend watching. The first time should never be the real time.
The short version
Most rescues our volunteers perform are for riders who were simply too tired to get back upwind.
8 Replies
This post has 8 replies
We tried this at our local spot last weekend and it worked a treat.
On a smaller board it is the same idea, just be patient on the lulls.
Agreed, that one catches a lot of people out.
Our club ran the same drill on Sunday. Everyone was much faster by the end.
Thanks! We used a pretty old action camera, nothing fancy.
On a smaller board it is the same idea, just be patient on the lulls.
How crowded was the beach? We are thinking of going in the spring.
How crowded was the beach? We are thinking of going in the spring.