Downwind Safety – winter reminder

Author: Jon Mann

The days are getting shorter as we enter autumn, which despite no longer having the chance of downwinding daily like i did when i worked month on / month off, does increase the likelihood of great sessions when I can go. However, with the change of seasons comes a drop in temperature. I for one am a fan of the colder sessions, but with the cold also comes an added set of considerations when it comes to safety.

I’ve written a blog before about downind safety, where I emphasise the elements of safety to consider (personal and group safety) as well as the protocol we use here to inform the emergency services of our plans in order to avoid members of the public calling the emergency services on us when it’s not needed. But I thought I would write another blog post detailing what I use for personal safety, especially when it’s cold and the considerations I take when planning downwind runs.

Gear – Neoprene / flotation:

  • I typically always wear a wetsuit that’s thicker than what I need. So in autumn thats between a good 3/2 and a 5/4 depending on the temps and in winter it’s generally a 6/5 hooded suit. I never actually wear the hood as it gets too warm, but the hood is good to have in the event of any issues as you lose a lot of warmth through your head. Worth noting that in the winter, the north sea can be between 6-8 degrees celcius and the lakes between 4-6 degrees celcius. You don’t have very long if fully immersed before hypothermia sets in. So also having a plan of what to do if you have kit failure or an injury is critical. 
  • Booties – some people hate them. But I find keeping the feet warm essential for board control. I hate thick booties that feel spongy and disconnected from your board, so I tend to prefer booties with a thin but firm sole. 
  • Gloves. I hate paddling with gloves. Normally I never wear them and I find the combination of paddling and pumping when on foil ensures enough warm blood gets pumped around the body, especially when wearing warm kit. I managed to go all last winter without using any with the exception of one day where the wind chill was -6 and I started the run with open palmed gloves just to protect the fingers from the wind. Generally though, even though I don’t wear them, I always carry gloves with me in the event I do need to swim in on my belly. The key thing is to ensure you wear gloves that you can put on quickly and easily, so not the extremely well sealed lobster claws you would use to surf in that take 5min per hand to put on…..
  • Windbreaker: I almost think this is essential, wind on a wet wetsuit gets you cold quickly. Even wetsuits with wind breaker linings. It adds a good degree of warmth. Additionally a bright coloured windbreaker can help with visibility as well. 
  • PFD: I have a bad habit of not wearing mine enough, but I’m getting better at wearing it. I’ve used a whole bunch of PFDs and honestly the Vaikobi Ocean Racing V3 is the best I’ve used and from what I’ve seen the majority of SUP foil downwinders use this vest. It doesn’t get in the way, and it’s comfortable with plenty of adjustment, has heaps of storage and comes in a range of good colours that help you be seen on the water. 
  • Leash: You do not want your board running away from you in the cold water. Your board is an essential part of your flotation in the event something happens (injury or material failure) and in the cold winter temperatures a leash is non-negotiable

Gear – Communication

  • Phone in waterproof case is the bare minimum. So long as you have phone signal where you are downwinding. In the Netherlands we use the KNRM helpt app. Which is a coastguard app that lets you alert the emergency services if you are in trouble. In the UK there’s the SafeTRX app too (same app as our KNRM helpt app). We also share our live locations with the group we are downwinding with as a just in case too. Only downside of the phone can be getting the screen to work if its wet.
  • Apple watch: Some people swear by the apple watch. No need to take the phone, live location sharing and the ability to call. Personally I wasn’t a fan of it when I had one. But it’s definitely a credible tool out there. 
  • PLB: Some people in the group here use PLBs. The one thing about a PLB is if you activate it, it sends out a distress signal. So its really a last resort type device
  • Garmin inreach mini: This little device has an SOS button that lets it function as a PLB effectively, but unlike a PLB that sends out a distress signal for all surrounding marine traffic to respond to. The inreach sends a signal to Garmins emergency centre that then co-ordinates with local emergency services. It also lets you send pre-programmed text messages such which can be handy if you are struggling to get the touch screen of your phone to work. The biggest downside to this device is the monthly cost. But given it could save your life it is worth it. 
  • SafeTrx: This is a watch that (in certain countries) has a direct line of communication with the emergency services. You have 2 options for outward communication. You can send an emergency signal to the emergency service and selected contacts and you can send a distress signal to selected contacts. These contacts can then text you on the watch and the watch gives you the ability to reply with either yes or no using the buttons. Unfortunately you can’t send pre-programmed messages with it, but this capability seems handy. The costs for the SafeTrx watch are a bit lower than a Garmin inreach to buy and the monthly fee is also a bit cheaper. The biggest downside for the SafeTrx may be the limited countries (though the list is expanding with Australia added to the list). I’m going to be trying out the SafeTrx app watch this winter and will report back on how I find it in a future blog post. 
  • Whistle: Easy way to make noise and signal for help. Lightweight and doesnt take up much space
  • Mirror: Again, same as whistle. Simple easy way to signal.
  • Streamer or flare: These create a more distinct (iluminated) target for those searching for you.

First aid:

  • I wanted to have a section on this after seeing a few people get pretty hurt on social media this summer. There are at least 2 instances I’ve seen where a tourniquet saved someone’s life and after seeing Andrew Sayre’s incident (have a listen on the Progression project) I also now carry one. Check out this post from Kekai on how to use one. 
  • In addition I carry a military field bandage in a waterproof pouch and both that and the tourniquet easily fit in my vaikobi PFD. 

So that’s a quick brain dump on winter safety – especially from the communication and first aid point I think these are critical things to have given how fast things can change and the importance of time, especially in the cold. Hopefully I haven’t missed anything – please let me know if I have and I’ll add it to the blog!