How To Stay Organized And Safe When Paddling In A Large Group

Paddling in a large group has a lot of benefits. There is safety in numbers, and it makes carrying gear much less of a burden when you have multiple vessels. It’s also easy to stay entertained when paddling among friends. While there are many benefits to paddling in numbers, it can also be challenging to maintain a safe and cohesive group as you venture further away from shore.

To stay safe and organized when paddling in a large group, appoint a slower paddler to lead the group, and an expert paddler to follow behind. Go over the route in detail and ensure everyone has the necessary safety gear before launching your vessels. Keep a conversation going to help stay in a tight formation, and take breaks periodically to ensure the group stays close and energized.

There is a sense of security when you paddle in a large group. You are less likely to be stranded, and large groups of paddlers are easier to spot in the water. Still, paddling in numbers has its unique challenges. If you lead paddling groups from time to time or plan to gather a group of friends for an epic paddle soon, it’s important you know all the ways to help keep a large group of paddlers organized and safe on the water.

11 Ways To Keep Your Paddling Group Safe And Together

1. Ensure Everyone Has The Right Safety Gear Before Launching

The most important paddling safety rule to remember is also having the right gear. This is even more important in large groups, as there are often less-experienced paddlers in large groups, and they might not even know what they need.

Ensure everyone has a PFD that fits and is properly fastened. Also ensure everyone has sun protection, water, and any other safety requirements needed for the journey. The group leaders should have a dry bag with first aid, a safety kit, and other survival essentials just in case there is a paddling emergency.

2. Appoint One Slower Paddler To Lead The Group

When paddling in a large group, the biggest challenge is paddling speed and pacing. No matter how physically fit the group is, there is always going to be a fastest and a slowest paddler. Still, even with this variation in speeds, it’s crucial to stay together.

One of the best ways to solve the paddling speed conundrum is to appoint a slow and confident paddler to lead the group. A slow paddler who knows the area well is ideal. This will set a slow and manageable pace that everyone can keep up with. It will also help prevent anyone from getting burnt out too quickly.

3. Move A Group Leader To The Back

In addition to having a slow paddler leading the pack, it’s also a good idea to have a strong paddler at the tail end of the group. A group leader at the back has several benefits. For one, a leader is likely to have supplies like first aid, water, snacks, and other essentials that fellow paddlers may need if they fall behind.

Furthermore, having a strong paddler at the back will allow him or her to assist anyone who is struggling. This position also allows the leader to see the entire group. Therefore, a slow paddler leading the group and a strong paddler following allow everyone to stay together and well-protected.

4. Know Every Paddler’s Experience Level And Limitations

Before heading out as a group it’s important you know every paddler’s experience level and physical limitations. If you are paddling with people you know well, this might be easy to gauge. If, however, you are going out with some people you don’t know well, it’s important to ask some essential questions before heading out into open water.

First, you need to know if anyone has any physical limitations, or is recovering from an injury. This will help guide your paddling route and speed, and also give you an idea of who to keep an eye on. You also need to know how comfortable everyone is with paddling, as well as swimming.

5. Have A Pre-Paddle Huddle About The Paddling Route

Before you embark on any new paddling route with others you must go over the paddling route. A pre-paddle huddle or meeting with visual aids, like a map, is a great way to give the group this important information.

Going over the paddling route in advance helps set expectations, and gives everyone a good idea as to what will be expected of them. Pointing out points of interest, areas, where you plan to take breaks, and launch points, are also very helpful. This way, if a paddler ever gets separated, or falls behind, he or she will know what comes next.

6. Place Paddlers With Less Experience In Tandem Vessels

When paddling in large groups it’s a good idea to use tandem vessels. This makes it much easier to keep people close together. After all, if everyone rides tandem, then there are half as many boats to keep organized.

If you are only working with a few tandem vessels, place some of the less experienced paddlers in the front seat of a tandem vessel. This will ensure the slower and less-experienced paddlers aren’t left behind, as they will have the help and direction of experienced paddlers behind them.

7. Keep The Conversation Going To Keep Everyone Close

One fun and effective technique to help keep your paddling group organized and close together is to keep the conversation flowing. To make this an intentional effort, it is often fun to play a conversational game, like “I’m going on a picnic” or some other memory game that requires everyone to listen and participate.

In addition to helping the time pass by quickly when paddling in longer stretches, it helps keep the group together. If everyone is within a conversational distance of one another, then you are all close enough together to stay organized. It is also a great way to get to know each other if you aren’t all friends already.

8. Paddle In A Streamlined Formation

When paddling as a group it is easy to get disorganized, and paddle in a blob rather than a tight formation. To avoid this discombobulation on the water, come up with a streamlined formation that works for everyone. A “V” formation, like that of migrating birds, tends to work well.

This streamlined formation helps with speed and tracking and also helps keep each paddler in a specific place. It makes it nearly impossible to lose a group member and makes the process of following the leader seamless.

9. Separate The Large Group Into Smaller Manageable Groups

If you are paddling in a touring group larger than 10, then you might want to consider breaking up into smaller groups. At a certain point, a large group becomes unmanageable and even unsafe. A good rule of thumb is once a group is 10 or larger, form two smaller groups.

Creating smaller groups makes it easy to keep track of everyone and keep the groups close. Furthermore, if you paddle in a large group it can cause traffic jams, and make it difficult to navigate narrow passages.

10. Have A Buddy System

Whenever you travel on the open water in a paddling vessel it’s always wise to have a buddy. Even when you paddle in a small group, it’s great to have one person, either in front or back of you, who is your go-to in the water.

Using the buddy system helps prevent anyone from straying too far. It also makes it easier to have a point of contact when you are paddling with a bunch of people. Sure, you can always get help from anyone, but having a designated buddy offers some accountability and reassurance.

11. Take Frequent Scheduled Breaks So Everyone Can Regroup

Lastly, one way to ensure that everyone stays together, regardless of speed and fitness level, is to take frequent and scheduled breaks. Map out your paddling route in advance to include several rest stops along your journey.

Find places where you can disembark and easily re-launch your vessels, like a sandy beach with no surf. Stop at landmarks as well as promising wildlife viewing locations as well. This will add purpose and intrigue to your frequent stops.

Summing Up Organization And Safety When Paddling In Groups

Embarking on an organized large-group paddling adventure is sure to create some epic and lasting memories. To ensure all these memories are positive ones, however, you must take some time to plan and ensure you and your group stay safe and organized.

Choose a slow paddler to lead the group so everyone stays at the same pace, and have a strong paddler at the back to assist when needed. Remember to ensure everyone has the proper safety gear, and is aware of the paddling route before you venture out. Plan lots of scheduled breaks and communicate frequently so everyone stays energized and close together.