Compulsory Airbags - Choose the one which applies

swimmer · Post by **swimmer** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 5:20 pm

[quote="z306"][/quote]
I think aribags should definitly be compulsary up to Div. 1 - you have some very young paddlers competing in slalom, and some hop on the water to find they cant cope, and even hte most confident paddlers 'have' to take a dip sometimes (even if it is just to 'cool down'

A water-logged boat is dangerous to the swimmer, other paddlers and potential rescuers. I was at the Tyne Tour 'rescuing' this weekend - it took us 1/2 hour to get a boat with no airbags out! Airbags also protect the boat, giving it rigidity, when they feel like bending round rocks!

Airbags are already compulsary in Wild Water Racing and most clubs, they advisied to all people paddling rivers -slalom should definitly follow suit

kanu.63 · Post by **kanu.63** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 8:45 pm

Air bags would not be needed if the paddlers stayed upright ,maybe we should look at ways of raising the standard . Do rescue at events have any form of training or are they just anyone who is availible?

Pingu · Post by **Pingu** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 1:26 pm

Over 100 days on the Boards and no apparant concensus. I've re-read all the contributions and also listened to the discussion at a recent Slalom Committee meeting.

The difficulty seems to be in being able to draft a rule change that:

Improves the safety of the sport, and
Is fair to all competitors, and
Is manageable for event organisers to oversee.

I think that probably everyone believes that airbags are adviseable for those at risk of a swim. However how do you square the circle of:

A boat weighing regime that requires all non-fixed items to be removed before weighing.

Some paddlers who do not want the additional weight of airbags in their boats.

Other paddlers (some of them at the top end of the sport) who perhaps wish to use airbags and who want them to be included in the weight of their boat.

I think that the issue will be item for discussion at the ACM. Why not come along and have your say!

Geebs · Post by **Geebs** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 12:37 am

kanu.63 wrote:Air bags would not be needed if the paddlers stayed upright ,maybe we should look at ways of raising the standard . Do rescue at events have any form of training or are they just anyone who is availible?

And how do you raise the standard of paddlers in Div 4?

The only way is to put them on the water and train them and yes you guessed it some if not all will swim at sometime.

The idea is to make the rescue easier for the people on the water or the bank. A swimmer can be easily rescued by someone that knows what they are doing, a boat full of water is a risk to all rescuer's.

With regard to qualifications at events, the people that have assisted me in the past have a minimum 4* & CST and years of experiance and are very good paddlers, most of them are qualified recreational coaches with BCU White Water Safety & Rescue, Aquatic First Aid, HMO Waterwise and Swift Water Rescue qualifications.

Most coaches know how to use throwlines, if anyone is interested in learning how to use a throwline and rescue techniques I would be happy to arrange a course at a minimal charge with fully qualified coaches at a suitable venue.

raeofsunshine · Post by **raeofsunshine** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 9:22 am

if rescue was only consistant at all events, i have had throw lines thrown over my boat and wrapped around me from people on the bank trying to rescue someone who has swam infront of me at races.
The point with airbags is that boats are hard to rescue especially when full- from my experience at slaloms those rescuing boats dont always know what they are doing- yes they are volunteers and good on them! But in the likeliehood you may swim use airbags to help aid the rescue of your boat if you dont you may end up with a seriously damaged boat!!
The point i think Kanu 6.3 was trying to make was do something about the standard so that paddlers are racing on water they can cope with.

Yester Years Kayak · Post by **Yester Years Kayak** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 5:37 pm

Anyone know where i can get some airbags from to fit into the bows of a slalom boat?

Anything to get my boat to float above the seam when i'm sitting in it will be welcome.........

driver · Post by **driver** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 6:16 pm

I was told just the other day you can get airbags for the nose at £7 a pair from Peak UK.

Geebs · Post by **Geebs** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 6:45 pm

Yester Years Kayak wrote:Anyone know where i can get some airbags from to fit into the bows of a slalom boat?

Anything to get my boat to float above the seam when i'm sitting in it will be welcome.........

I'm afraid airbags will not help you with this one, airbags will not improve the volume of the boat all they do is take up the space where the water would go in the event of a swim.

Could alway's try filling them with helium?

But bow airbags are a good idea as well as stern ones :;):

Dutch Geezer · Post by **Dutch Geezer** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 7:06 pm

I think this one can go to bed now.

I agree that if people think they will swim, then fit airbags.

If you go to rescue a boat and its really difficult and you are going to put yourself in danger or get hurt, then let it go, if the paddler is silly enough to come up and complain afterwards that you didn't save his boat, then he should have taken better care of it.

The problem with making airbags compulsory is a difficult one. If the ICF raised the minimum weight to 10 Kilos and made them compulsory across the sport as per WWR and Surf, end of argument.

If the rules were changed to allow airbags to be part of the 9 Kilo weight, my fear as a supplier would be people wanting there boat at 7.5 kilos so that its just under 9 with airbags, that weight reduction comes from reduced materials and to my mind that compromises paddlers safety whilst he is in the boat which would concern me much more than whether the boat was safe once the paddler is swimming.

Let every paddler, parent and rescuer make their own decision on what they do to keep themselves and their equipment safe, dont ask a committee to try to write a rule which is not considered nescessary by nearly 70 % of those who voted, we are only opening up a minefield.

See you on the water.

Geebs · Post by **Geebs** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 12:05 am

Well said Joe.

I hope that everyone will take on the pro's & con's of this discussion and make their own decissions for the coming year.

At the end of the day it is the paddlers safety that is paramount.

Good luck to all for the current season have a safe and happy one :;):

Kayakin Rosie! · Post by **Kayakin Rosie!** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 7:18 am

People should be able to make thier own mind up. Div 3/4 definatly should have airbags in thier boats as you can never tell if they will swim or not.
Higher Divisions or people with a guarantide roll may not have to use airbags. But it is up to them.
Personly if i got a brand new boat then i would want to use my airbags but if i am only judging at somewhere like stone then i don't really see the point.

c1champ · Post by **c1champ** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 5:21 pm

I paddle slalom and think that it should be the paddlers choice. |If it is on river like nottingham and you think you are going to swim put air bags in. If it is flat what is the point.

steve:)