Paddleboards and young people go together like peaches and cream. Kids instantly ‘get’ paddleboarding, and very quickly work out ways to have fun on them that wouldn’t even occur to grown ups.
But exactly the same safety messages apply. We teamed up with the kids from Harvest Christian School in Kerikeri, who are all ace paddleboarders, to create a video explaining how to be safe on the water, and have a whole lot of fun along the way.
The video comes in two versions; the full version (4 mins) and the short summary version (1 min).
We’d love you to share these videos far and wide, let’s reach as many young people as we can. And if you’re an educator or youth activity provider and you can show the vid to your class, at the bottom of this page are some topic starters so as to increase the learning potential of the videos even further, with a good discussion after watching the video.
We really hope you like the videos!
The full length version
(Be sure to watch to the very end!)
The quick one-minute summary version
Discussion Prompts
If you’re showing the full length vid to your class or group, here are a few suggestions for getting the discussion going afterwards:
What are the five points of the SUP safe code?
[wear a leash, wear buoyancy, know how to call for help, check the conditions and make sure it’s safe before you go out, tell someone before you go out]
Why is a leash so important?
[Because it stops you losing your board]
Why do we wear a buoyancy aid?
[Because it’s the law! Because it keeps you afloat. Because cold water can take your breath away]
How could we call for help in an emergency?
[use a phone if you have one. Use your whistle. Wave your arms, wave something bright, wave your paddle]
Which is the most dangerous wind direction?
[Offshore, because it blows you out to sea]
Should you go paddleboarding if the water is bumpy and you can see white caps on the water?
[No]
If you get caught out because it’s too windy or bumpy, what is the best thing to do?
[Get down to your knees and paddle back]
If you want to jump off your board, what should you do first – and how?
[Check the depth of water, with your paddle]