Watersports Safety

Summer is the season of watersports and whether it is abroad on holiday or at your local watersports center, there are always safety precautions you need to be aware of. When taking part in such activities abroad you may find there is a language barrier, and taking in new instructions becomes more difficult. If you are planning to do such sports whilst holidaying you should research safety precautions prior to your trip, especially if it is your first time. Watersports centers in this country are bound to give you plenty of instructions and warnings, but the more you know the better!

Inspect the equipment
Equipment should be stored away from the sunlight to avoid damaging the material. It should also be washed down with fresh water after every use. You can usually tell if this happens as most equipment will be hung up to dry from the last person who used it. Sun damaged, scuffed and crumbling foam pads on life jackets and parts of the wetsuit, will not perform properly and a knotted, fraying tow-line is likely to break.  On the other hand, brand new kit does not guarantee a safe operator, so you should look for places where equipment is being treated properly after use and in a used but good condition. 

Life jacket
When taking part in watersports whether its water skiing or riding in a boat, you should always be given a life jacket. Make sure your buoyancy aid fits properly so that it stays on in the water. Protective helmets should be provided for towed inflatable rides as the aim of this sports is to throw you off, making your head and neck vulnerable to damage.   

Surroundings
You should scan the near by area to ensure your activity will not interfere or clash with another watersport taking place. Some sports can involve dangerous equipment and although the operator should be aware of this, you should double check for your own piece of mind. There should be a clear buoyancy operating area for you to keep away from other beach or center users. 

Who’s taking part
The watersports operator should take down all of your personal details including name, address and any medical conditions. These should be noted down incase of medical problems. You should also be asked if you are water confident and given a full safety briefing before hand. If these actions are not carried out, you should raise the issue with the operator and prompt them to take the above actions. 

Safety procedures
There should always be more than one operator to ensure the safety of the group. If one operator is busy attending to a problem or talking to another customer, there needs to be at least one person still keeping their eye on the group taking part in the activity. These instructors should also be informing you that at least one of them is trained in first aid.