An ankle leash on a river is a serious hazard. If your board is caught by current and dragged downstream, it will pull you under and pin you there. A quick-release waist leash has a pull-tab you operate with one hand — in a crisis, it separates you from your board in under a second.

• Rivers and moving water: quick-release waist leash. No exceptions.
• Flatwater lakes and canals: a coiled ankle or calf leash is fine.
• Sea and coastal: long coiled leash (10ft+) at the calf. Some paddlers use a quick-release waist leash in surf.
• Straight non-coiled leash at sea: avoid — it trails across the board and creates a trip hazard.

If a hire company hands you an ankle leash for a river session, question it.

• Belt-pack inflatable (waist pack): comfortable, unobtrusive. Suits calm flatwater for confident adults. You pull a toggle to inflate it.
• Foam buoyancy aid: works automatically, no action required. Recommended for rivers, cold water, rougher conditions, and anyone not fully confident in the water.
• Children: always a foam buoyancy aid — not an inflatable. Inflating correctly under stress requires a calm adult.

Self-rescue sounds straightforward until you try it in cold water, wearing kit, with hands that have stopped working properly. Before paddling solo, you should be able to:

• Get back on your board from the water, unassisted, in your normal paddling kit
• Paddle efficiently enough to make headway against a light wind
• Fall safely — flat, away from the board, hands protecting your head
• Reach the bank or shore unaided if your board was taken from you

If you haven't had at least one session with a qualified instructor, book one before going out alone. It covers all of this and takes a morning. We run beginner lessons regularly.

• Board: check for damage. Inflatables should be at least 12 PSI — a soft board is unstable and unresponsive.
• Paddle: confirm the blade is locked tight and the shaft has no cracks.
• Fin: attached and fixing screw tight. A loose fin makes the board very hard to control.
• Leash: check for worn sections or a stiff quick-release mechanism. They are inexpensive — replace if in doubt.
• Phone: fully charged, in a proper waterproof pouch worn on your person. Zip-lock bags fail. A purpose-made pouch costs around £10.
• Clothing: dress for the water temperature, not the air. In UK waters between October and May, a wetsuit is strongly advisable regardless of what the air feels like.

Before every paddle — especially solo or remote ones — tell someone on shore:

• Exactly where you are launching from
• Your planned route and where you will exit the water
• What time to expect a call from you
• A specific action: "If you haven't heard from me by 3pm, call 999."

"I'm going paddleboarding, back later" doesn't help search and rescue teams. A specific location and time does.

At the coast, you can register your paddle plan with the RNLI's free Float Your Plan service.

A paddling partner drastically reduces the time before help arrives and can assist with a self-rescue when exhaustion or cold has made it difficult alone.

If you paddle solo:

• Stay within a realistic swim distance of shore — not a heroic one
• Stay visible from land or near other water users where possible
• Tell someone your plan (see above)
• Consider joining a local SUP club for a ready-made buddy system and local knowledge

Strainers — fallen trees or debris that water flows through but a person cannot — are equally lethal. Paddle around them with a wide margin. If swept towards one, get onto the upstream face of your board and push hard across the current.

Current feels gentle until you are tired and further downstream than intended. Plan your exit points before you launch and identify any hazards with a riverside walk first.

After heavy rain, river levels and speed can rise within an hour. This tool shows current readings, but conditions can change between checking and arriving. If the river looks faster or higher than expected, trust your eyes.

Offshore wind is the RNLI's most-cited cause of paddleboard incidents. A breeze that feels gentle on the beach can be impossible to paddle against once you are 200 metres out. The coastal check on this tool calculates whether the wind is blowing offshore for your specific beach.

Rip currents are fast channels of water flowing away from shore. If caught in one: don't paddle against it. Paddle parallel to shore to escape the channel, then make your way back in. If you can't manage it, stay calm, float, and signal for help.

Tides can strand you, expose unexpected hazards, or significantly strengthen currents. Check the tide times for your specific beach and know whether it will be coming in or going out during your session.

Speak to the lifeguards before entering an unfamiliar beach. RNLI lifeguards are on many UK beaches between May and September.

Stay with your board. It floats, it is far more visible than a person in the water, and it provides a rest platform. Let go of it only as an absolute last resort.

Signal for help: wave one arm slowly overhead. Two arms waving is a greeting — one arm is the international distress signal.

• At sea: call 999 and ask for the Coastguard. VHF radio: Mayday on Channel 16.
• On inland water: call 999 and ask for the Fire Service. They operate swift water rescue teams. The RNLI does not cover inland water.
• If you see someone in trouble at sea: call 999 for the Coastguard. Do not enter the water yourself unless trained.

This is why a charged phone in a waterproof pouch, worn on your person rather than left on the board, matters every single time.