SUP foil safety gear

Though we’re lucky enough to practice our sport on the most forgiving element there is in the event of a fall, your safety can be jeopardized for lack of proper equipment!

A moment of inattention, a powerful wave or too much confidence can have nasty consequences if you are not properly equipped. Accidents are rare, but they don’t just happen to others… Here’s how to prevent them.

Gear in good condition

Ensuring your safety in the water starts with being able to rely on your gear. You shouldn’t get in the water with gear that shows signs of weakness. It would be a bold gamble on your only means to return to the beach safely. An old leash that lets you down and you could be engaged in a long and exhausting paddling effort. If the conditions are on your side, it’s usually no problem, but bad luck has this annoying tendency to pile up… You can be sure that the day you break your leash, the wind will be blowing offshore with an unfavorable current. That’s the Murphy Law for you. So always check your equipment and if in doubt, replace or repair when possible.

Protections

Your equipment should also protect your physical integrity. At high speeds water isn’t that indulgent element anymore. A high-speed fall on the ribs, for example, can leave you with a painful souvenir of your session. In addition, you do not always have the chance to fall on the water, you can get hit by the gear. For these reasons, we strongly recommend:

• wearing a helmet.
• wearing an impact vest.

Falls are not a matter of level. Whether you have a nasty fall doing a take off or a backflip, the result is still a nasty fall. Being a beginner doesn’t spare you from things going violently wrong, neither does being experienced. Nasty falls are only a matter of time.

A wetsuit adapted to the conditions

Your safety also involves a neoprene wetsuit which not only ensures your thermal comfort during the session but also safety in case things go wrong. If you are adrift due to fatigue or breakage, your wetsuit is your life insurance until the wind, your strength or help returns. Moreover, it is absolutely necessary to avoid sailing alone in order to be able to ask for help if a situation goes wrong.

Stay connected to your gear

It is essential to stay connected to your gear using a leash for your board. You’ll be feeling very lonely if you lose one of these elements offshore. Good luck swimming after a board pushed by a strong wind… here is how to equip yourself.

For the board you have SEVERAL OPTIONS :

• A shortboard-type ankle leash, an easy solution if you already have one for surfing.
• A coiled ankle leash that doesn’t overload the deck and does not drag in the water when flying.
• A belt leash so that the leash no longer gets tangled in your feet.
• A coiled belt leash to stop the leash getting tangled in your feet and not let it drag in the water while flying.

We recommend replacing your leashes once a year or as soon as a cut mark appears on them. An investment that seems reasonable to us considering the potential consequences of a leash that lets you down.