6 SUP Rescue Techniques

Save a life by learning these easy sup rescues for a variety of situations and conditions. Learn towing and pushing boards to the stirrup, flip, dip-pull and two board lift-up rescues.
6 Rescue Techniques Covered:
- Flip rescue for quickly pulling an injured, cold or fatigued paddler out of the water and onto their or your board.
- 2 Board lift-up - Influenced by a sea kayak rescue, use two boards and paddles to help the rescuee out of the water easily. A great alternative if the flip rescue doesn't work.
- Dip Pull Rescue - A great method for helping a paddler onto their own board.
- Stirrup - Use a sling to help a fatigued or less strong paddler onto their 6" inflatable board. Can also be used on your own board.
- Push Rescue - Use your board to push another board or kayak to safety. Also works in current.
- Towing - Use of tow and throw ropes to effectively attach and tow a fatigued, injured or cold paddler or kayaker to safety.
- Methods for attaching a leash or tow / throw line to a board.
- How board outfitting can help with rescues.
This video is from the SUP 101 online course by PSUPA director Rob Casey. Get info at www.salmonbaypaddle.com
Become a certified SUP instructor: www.psupa.com

[@FrankLadd]

I've used a stirrup for a kayak many times, but have never thought of one for a SUP. Thanks!

[@iheartyeshua]

Thank you for the knotted rope idea. My husband is bigger and I’ll be taking him out this summer! 👍🏼👍🏼 I think those flip techniques are fun to practice, but I need to try with people bigger than me.

[@warrenshattock5099]

I use a knotted rope, I tried the loop system but my leg went right through it and suddenly I was in trouble. Think carefully about creating a trap for yourself

[@wendyw1156]

Thank you so much! I will try some techniques

[@Offgridkayaking]

Very informative and clear instructions..thank you .

[@colleennelligan5741]

Great video! Thanks for making this

[@abelsantander9162]

what a great video!!!! I am going to practice all the techniques you gave us.

[@melindapoholanyi7691]

Huge thank you.

[@yukonblogger]

Stirrup from the tail, shown in the video, does not work well, interfering with cargo only being one reason. Yes, it tends to flip the board if attached to the center handle. That is why the stirrup should attach to the rail via a rope loop going through D-rings of starboard and port rail sides. So the stirrup slides to and anchors automatically on the board side where it is needed.

[@klausm4086]

6:40 very good hint! I will try!! Thanks a lot!!

[@Timberbeartrail]

Because on a hard board and one with the rope, hanging off it when you get a stirrup, how would you where’s of all of her exhausted how are you? Allow them to get their foot in the stirrup me know because the stirrup is just a loop in the rope so I mean, it would be kind of difficult to do that and you didn’t really get into any of the details but you would’ve been super important in this video.

[@Timberbeartrail]

That one with the stirrup how would you use it on a hard board and do you find that the benefit to these procedures would be with a inflatable board, I am wanting to get my instructors license and of course I want to get into the rescue side of things so by doing that do you think I’d be better off with a hard board or do you think I’d be better off with the inflatable board?

[@martin.feuchtwanger]

Your first method, which you demonstrated a few times, is what i learnt as a student. Then, last night, in fact, i had to try that to my student who could not climb aboard herself. Instead of her board flipping upright as i pulled her, she just slid on top of her up-turned board. She was quite a bit smaller than me. It happened twice in succession. Rather than try a third time, i simply had her crawl onto my board from her up-turned board and wait while i righted and mounted her board, and then we switched places. Now that i think about it, i wonder: Could i have just used that exact (accidental) technique, but intentionally pull her directly onto her still-upright board? Does anyone do that? The swimmer would have to lie flat on the water surface to facilitate the slide. Or, should i have done something different in order to get her board to actually flip as i pulled her? Maybe pulled *up* more, rather than across? Or asked her to hug her board with her body while i pulled? Clearly, more practice would help, but i wonder if anyone has any other ideas.

[@kevywilliams3304]

Whoever would ride that green pro board .. would know how to get on