It’s tough for kayakers to get out to enjoy the water these days. So far this year COVID-19 travel restrictions and questions about what constitutes safe outdoor recreation during these “uncertain times” have kept some paddlers from paddling. I’ve been fortunate to do a lot of kayaking (28 times this year as of yesterday) because most of my paddles have launched from our back yard on the bay. Some paddles — sea kayaking and whitewater — have involved driving solo and meeting up with friends at the put-in. When paddling with friends we try not to touch each other’s boats and gear more than necessary. Once on the water it’s pretty easy to stay at least six feet away from each other.
For those of us who organize paddling events, the challenges are greater. It’s been hard to know when and whether to cancel upcoming plans in order to keep participants safe. A few days ago our friends at PaddleSafely.com published guidelines for paddlesports event planning. It’s a thorough document, well worth reading. View the full document here: http://www.paddlesafely.com/covid-19/
For the “CliffsNotes” version, here’s a summary of the major recommendations:
1. Follow guidance from key public health entities, for example, the CDC, state and local health departments.
2. Consider performing a Health Status Screening prior to a paddlesports event at the commencement of the event and first thing in the morning for multi-day events.
3. Always attempt to maintain social distancing (currently specified at 6 feet ( 2 meters), while on land and on the water.
4. Wash or sanitize hands frequently – especially before and after touching something that someone else may have touched or may touch later.
5. While on land, consider wearing either a surgical type mask or an improvised mask (such as a neck gaiter) to cover your mouth and nose. In addition, consider wearing eye protection (regular eyeglasses, regular sunglasses or, even better, wraparound safety glasses).
6. While on the water, consider wearing an improvised mask (e.g., a neck gaiter) to cover your mouth and nose. In addition, consider wearing eye protection (regular eyeglasses, regular sunglasses or, even better, wraparound safety glasses).
7. Plan paddlesports events so they minimize the loss of social distancing to the extent possible. For example, chose a venue where people can spread out sufficiently to maintain social distancing.
8. Plan paddlesports event activities so that they minimize the amount of time participants will be in close proximity to one another. For example, stagger event arrival times and launching times.
9. Run paddlesports events to ensure that social distancing is maintained. For example, avoid allowing situations to develop where boats “stack up”, e.g., launch and landing sites, tight eddys, etc.
10. Rescues, especially assisted ones, greatly increase the likelihood of significant loss of social distancing. Accordingly, plan and run events in such a way as to minimize the likelihood of unplanned assisted rescues. For example, if possible, stay close enough to shallow water/shore so that swimmers can walk or swim their boats in. Choosing venues and activities which are well within the skill level of all paddlers will also help to decrease the likelihood of unplanned rescues.
Photos from my past few days of social distance paddling… starting with our 10-mile paddle across the bay of Green Bay.
Kayaking in Wisconsin’s Door County…
