Safety

Paddleboarding is a water activity. Conditions change quickly — tide times shift, wind gets up, water levels rise and fall, boat traffic varies, and access can be different from the day a route was written up. Nothing on this page or on any route replaces your own judgement on the day.

Before you launch:

• Wear a leash and a suitable personal flotation device.
• Check tide tables, weather, and local notices for your launch point — not just for the area in general.
• Tell someone your plan and your expected return time.
• Know how to self-rescue on the board you're using, and paddle within your ability.
• Respect harbour authority rules, navigation bylaws, and private land.
• Never paddle under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Keep clear of shipping lanes, moorings and other water users, and give way where you're required to.
• If you're new to paddleboarding or unsure of a stretch of water, consider a qualified instructor or a guided session first.

If something goes wrong on the water, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard (or the Police for inland waterways). Don't rely on PaddleRoam, or any app, as your means of raising an alarm.

About the route information on this site: routes, hazard notes, tide comments and difficulty ratings are submitted by other paddlers, not verified or checked by PaddleRoam for current accuracy. A route that was calm and clear when it was written up may not be today. Treat everything here as a starting point for your own planning, not as live navigation, a safety guarantee, or a substitute for a dedicated GPS/marine app.

You're responsible for deciding whether a paddle is right for you, your equipment and the conditions on the day. PaddleRoam, its contributors and operator accept no liability for injury, loss, or damage arising from use of routes or information found on this site.

If you spot a route with information that's dangerous, badly wrong, or needs a hazard flag, please let us know so we can review it.