Paddle sports are the fastest growing form of recreational boating in the United States. An estimated 17.8 million people participated in some type of paddlesports activity getting out on the water more than 50,000 times daily. With over one hundred thousand paddlecraft being sold annually, the US Coast Guard anticipates that by 2020 as many as 47 million paddlers will be using paddlecraft for touring, physical exercise, fishing, hunting or other activities.

Whether you are new to paddling or have been at it for a while you owe it to yourself to make sure you are aware of the appropriate level of safety for the activity and conditions you are participating in. Unfortunately, the explosive growth of this segment of recreational boating has led to a disturbing upward trend in the number of injuries and accidents. The Coast Guard has found that canoe and kayak fatalities have been steadily rising for a decade. The sad part is that this loss of life could have been avoided with proper education. To find out about paddling training in the Lake Wylie area contact us here. 

WATCH THE FOLLOWING VIDEO ON PADDLE SAFETY & HAZARDOUS WATERS:

PADDLING SAFETY & HAZARDOUS WATERS 

Auxiliary and General Media Articles on Paddlecraft

Paddling into History, **Navigator**, Spring 2004
The US Coast Guard Auxiliary Presents: Paddlefest, **e BEACON**, February 2011
Cold Water Survival - The 1-10-1 Rule
Lake Wylie CGA Facebook
Rise in paddling deaths spurs Coast Guard to ramp up safety effort, **Bangor Daily News**, May 30, 2017.
Sea Paddling Safety 101, **Canoe&Kayak**, December 27, 2013 

Local Paddling Organizations

Rock Hills A.L.L. Outdoors Program
U.S. National Whitewater Center
Twisted Beaver River Adventures
South Carolina State Parks
McDowell Nature Preserve
Charlotte Paddle Board Co
My Aloha Paddle & Surf

Paddlecraft Safety / Educational Videos

Top 10 Tips for Canoeing & Kayaking safety
Life Jackets Float. Do You?
Decide to Return
Your Turn - A Defensive Boating Primer
Coastal Kayaking - National Paddlesport Safety System 
Whitewater Kayaking - National Paddlesport Safety System
Whitewater Rafting - National Paddlesport Safety System
SmartStart for Paddlers - A Paddlesport Safety Orientation
SUP Paddling Safely

Paddling TV on YouTube channels

Kayak Fishing Tales
Kayak Bass Fishing
Stand Up Paddling 
Whitewater Kayaking
Canoeing
Recreational Paddling

Sea Kayaking

SeaKayakingTV channel
SeaKayakingTVThree “Golden Rules” of Sea Kayaking: 
How to Dress for Kayaking:
How to properly transport a kayak on the top of your vehicle:
Anchoring A Fishing Kayak:
How to perform a heel hook variation on the paddle float reentry video:

Kayak Fishing

Kayak Fishing “Golden Rules” of Kayak Fishing 
Top 5 Shallow Water Kayak Fishing Tips
Choosing the Right Fishing Kayak
How to Re-enter a Sit-on-top Kayak 
How to Launch a Kayak in a Surf Zone 
Top 5 Kayak Fishing Safety Rules
How to Choose a Good Kayak Fishing Spot 
Top 5 Off Shore Kayak Fishing Tips 
Techniques Every Kayak Angler Should Know 
Top 5 Ways to Customize your Fishing Kayak 
Proper Technique for Paddling a Fishing Kayak

Marine Radios for Safety

Marine VHF Radios for Kayakers, Part 1
Marine VHF Radios for Kayakers, Part 2

Story about VHF radio and a rescue:

VHF radio saves lost sea kayaker in Puget Sound
Paddling Tips: Float Bags:

Brochures

Best Practices for Paddlers and Paddlesports Programs
Paddler's Safety Checklist
Wear It! Lifejackets Matter
Cold Water Survival
Be Smart, Be safe, Have fun
Rules of the Road
American Canoe Association
Carolina Berg Wanders
Cold Water Boot Camp 
Kayak Paddling.net
Kayak Zak’s Adaptive Paddling
Kayarchy
Paddler Magazine
Paddling.About.com
Paddling.com
Paddlewise
Sea Kayaker Magazine
Wekanu

Keeping current

Backpacker Magazine
Family and Camping
Canoeroots Magazine
Kayak Fishing.com
Kayak Magazine
Ocean Paddler Magazine
Paddling Life
Paddling.com
Rapid the Whitewater Magazine
Sea Kayaker Magazine
USCA Canoe News

There are a wide list of books on the various paddling sports. To access the list of books click here.