You can have the best buoyancy aid and leash in the world, but if you can’t call for help if you’re in trouble, then they’re probably not going to save you. Comms really matter! Unfortunately, just as with leashes and buoyancy aids, there isn’t a single ideal solution for paddleboarding. It will depend very much on where you paddle, and the sort of paddling you’re doing.
Comms Reviews
Here are some of the products that we have in-depth personal experience with and are prepared to recommend. More reviews coming very soon – the website has only just been launched, and our main goal has been getting the books right. If you would like to submit a review we’d love to hear from you!
In the book
Here are just some of the discussion points in the book about comms. Order your copy of the book now!
- Mobile phones
- Practical considerations with mobile phones
- Who should you call?
- Smartphones vs dumbphones
- Testing your waterproof
- phone case
- VHF radios
- Beacons
- Satellite communicators
- Smartwatches
- Emergency call functions
- Whistles
- Flags
- Signalling mirrors
- Waving your paddle
- International distress signal
- Yelling / shouting / hooting /whistling…
- Flares
- Torch / strobe
- Which comms should you carry?
- Comms for the group
- In summary
- GOLDEN RULES OF SAFETY EQUIPMENT: FOR COMMS
- Comms knowledge: test yourself
If you get into trouble while paddleboarding then being able to call for help is going to be what makes the difference. So you owe it to yourself to fully understand the issues and complexities of choosing the right comms strategy for your environment. Order your copy of the book now!
Brands, Products and Links
We’re not going to get into reviewing mobile phones, there are a stack of websites doing that already and a vast array of new products coming onto the market all the time. With regard to the other applicable forms of communication for SUP that are covered in the book, the following links are for information only – they are not recommendations as we have not fully tested their products. Watch this space – more reviews coming soon. And if you’ve got a product you really rate and have used extensively enough to write a review on please let us know!
What are your thoughts on communication devices for SUP?
If you have anything to add to the discussion in the book about comms devices and methods then please let us know. The discussion here will be moderated, and only relevant comments will be accepted. (Differing viewpoints are extremely welcome, but please do read the chapter in the book first, and base your comments on what has been written there. If your view has already been covered in the book there’s no point repeating it again).
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