Dragon Boat West

For many years, outrigger has been popular as a cross-training activity for dragon boat racing and some people get hooked on the rush of going out into open water on a windy day to ride the bumps. I've been involved in outrigger for about 10 years and, while I've seen a few safety "incidents" over that time, it seems like this year has already had more than its fair share. This includes an inexperienced OC6 crew going out on a stormy day with no spray skirt. They wound up swamping the boat but managed to make it to shore at Kits beach. On two other occasions experienced paddlers went out on solo boats and capsized (hulied). One of them was unable to get back in the boat due to the rough conditions and the other one had their boat blown away by the wind. If there hadn't been other paddlers in the area to help them out, we could have had a couple of fatalities.

I understand the attraction of going out in windy conditions. I do it myself for the excitement of surfing downwind so I can't say that people should never undertake these activities. However, there is no excuse for taking foolish risks. Remember these rules:

#1 - never go out alone and always keep an eye out for your buddies
#2 - always wear a boat leash
#3 - always wear a PFD
#4 - double check your equipment before you head out
#5 - know your limits and, if you're in an OC6, the limits of your crew

Wow, all this is happening at FCRCC?

I agree with the 5 point list that brainiac has written. I know it is a pain to wear a PFD, and boat leashes are troublesome on OC-1, but then again, so are seatbelts and child seats in cars. 

Keep it safe so you we can have fun for years to come.

The OC6 crew were from DZ.