Proposed kayak/paddle board regulations

https://mynorthwest.com/2481117/kayak-paddleboard-bill-petition/?

Mandatory safety course and license for Washington state proposed.

Ok to take courses and do things safely but not likely a license will help. Don’t give California any ideas.

Here we go government going to save us and we don't need saving

Sounds like they're in need of revenue

https://mynorthwest.com/2481117/kayak-paddleboard-bill-petition/?

Mandatory safety course and license for Washington state proposed.

“We are fifth in the nation for boating safety fatalities. … If we’re having so many fatalities on the water, we should do something about that,” he said, adding, “That’s the idea behind it, to make sure that people get the training that they need, get the education they need to stay safe on the water.”


Understandable position, not sure of how well it will work

Yo! Keep the government out. Why the hell would you want to impose this?! I can see the bill starting with a 3000000billion ecological study and recommending banning fishing except for the 4th of july and memorial weekend. lol. Seriously. WT* 

edit: ~5 fatalities on kayak.... from how many people, how many hours or days out... i mean.. 30x more people die from cocunuts falling on their heads you want to require everyone wear helmets outdoors.. just sayin.

Yo! Keep the government out. Why the hell would you want to impose this?! I can see the bill starting with a 3000000billion ecological study and recommending banning fishing except for the 4th of july and memorial weekend. lol. Seriously. WT* 

edit: ~5 fatalities on kayak.... from how many people, how many hours or days out... i mean.. 30x more people die from cocunuts falling on their heads you want to require everyone wear helmets outdoors.. just sayin.

Thanks, I needed a good laugh, and you got me with the coconuts (which is not actually true)

I’ve been pushing this.  Washington wasn’t even the target but they are the most interested.  It’s entirely due to the sudden increased popularity in the sport and the wide availability of marginal kayaks at big box retailers.  I’ve reached out to a few people, and I am planning a video training series.  I was approached last summer by a couple NWKA members after a rash of paddle sport drownings in Oregon, before our own local kayak fishing death at Trinidad.

This is coming, and it’s my aim to be part of the solution.  My goal is to make sure it isn’t any more difficult than the current hunter safety programs. We have way more paddle sport deaths than we do hunting accident deaths.

Thanks for the additional information and your work to mitigate this, Doug!

Next is having a license to go swimming.

This is coming, and it’s my aim to be part of the solution.  My goal is to make sure it isn’t any more difficult than the current hunter safety programs. We have way more paddle sport deaths than we do hunting accident deaths.

Thank you for being part of the solution... from the way some people approach the water, there’s a lot to train.

As much as I didn’t like the courses for the CA Boating card, I completed the training and paid for the card even though my age group has a few years left, I have seen the need for the training almost every time we take the ski boat out during the summer. Having a boat these days seems to be about who has the money versus the knowledge needed to be a successful mariner.

I have also been kayaking on Donner Lake with the water at 40 degrees and seen people paddling on various craft wearing shorts and maybe a fleece jacket, and very few with a life jacket on. If they end up in that cold water, they’re going to be in trouble incredibly fast. In the fringe months when there’s not many boats out, there’s not a lot of help around.

If the training is right and covers what you need to do to take care of yourself and be safe while paddling, it might save one or two of the folks who don’t know any better. That would make it worth the trouble to me.

Keep government out of it unless you want to see the sport get all F'd up.  They need to be focusing on a lot more important issues than how to micromanage my life.  If someone is so stupid as to not realize the need for learning the basics of safety when on or in the water, then give them a Darwin award and be grateful the gene pool has been improved just that much more. 

Having worked for the government most of my life, I think the Ski Pro has it about right.

IMHO, something like traffic school for boaters would make a lot more sense. That is, freely hand out fines to those who violate the rules and give them the option of paying or spend an evening at “boaters school.” I’d think that such an approach would have a better chance of affecting the actions of the small minority who choose to be clueless, while not burdening those who play it safe. 

Well, it’s coming so you can either be part of the conversation or let it happen and bitch about it later.

 What happened to the surf boards. Did not see anything about that industry. Don’t forget the skiers both snow and water. People have been injured in these sports.