BOATING INFO
- Always wear a life jacket when boating! Required for Lewisburg Public Paddlers!
- Obtain proper instruction in boating skills; learn by going with a friend with boating experience at first
- Know boating regulations (PFD/life vest, whistle, launch permit at Fish and Boat ramps, flashlight)
- Be prepared for hazards (especially strainers and sweepers; https://paddling.com/learn/river-hazards/)
- Carry proper equipment (again PFD/life vest, whistle, flashlight, water-ready clothing and footwear)
PLAN YOUR TRIP
- Tell someone where you are boating and when you expect to return
- Check the weather and know the waters where you will boat (or go with a friend who knows them!)
- Check river conditions (http://bit.ly/LburgRiverGauge and http://bit.ly/LburgHydrograph here, conditions are good below 3’ stage and ok from 3’ to 6’; no go above that! Also check the windspeed and direction.)
- Stay away from hazards like dams and trees in the water
- Drinking and boating do not mix
- For more boating safety information visit www.fishandboat.com
PADDLING TIPS
- Expect to get wet and dress properly. Even the best paddlers sometimes capsize or swamp their boats.
- Use the rule of thumb for paddling weather – wet or dry suit needed if water + air temp is less than 100
- Be prepared to swim. If the water looks too hazardous to swim in, don’t go paddling.
- Do not carry water-sensitive items with you (battery-operated car keys or phones) without dry bagging.
- If you capsize, hold on to your boat, unless it presents a life-threatening situation.
- Wear wading shoes or tennis shoes with wool, polypropylene, pile, or neoprene socks. No flip-flops!
- Never take your boat over a low-head dam.
- Portage (carry) your boat around any section of water about which you feel uncertain.
- Never boat alone. Boating safety increases with numbers.
- Keep painter lines (ropes tied to the bow) and any other ropes coiled and secured.
- Never tie a rope to yourself or to another paddler, especially a child.
- Kneel to increase your stability before entering rougher water, like a rapid (if in canoe).
- If you collide with an obstruction, lean toward it.
- If you end up in rapids without your boat, float downstream keeping your feet at the surface in front of you.
Excerpted/adapted from Susquehanna Greenway Partnership river access signage and the PA Fish and Boat Commission website.
