After much research, failed attempts for change of status quo, and self-reflection; I have decided to refrain from knowingly promoting river surfing due to river surfing’s unwittingly and knowingly negligent use of unsafe gear (in particular the use of quick release leashes and improperly designed personal floatation devices for river surfing).
Quick Release Leashes Are Not Safe:
Recent deaths related to quick release leashes have lead me to come to the conclusion that until quick release leashes have some sort of failsafe self-releasing mechanism; all quick release leashes provide a false sense of safety and are deadly in the river surfing environment. Unfortunately in Colorado, almost all river surfers are using leashes of some kind, either deadly ankle leashes or deadly quick release leashes. My conclusion is echoed by the British Canoe Association (BCAB) and Bend OR Park and Recreation.
CGA PFD’s Are Not Designed For River Surfing And Promote Unsafe Practices:
River surfers using CGA pfd’s are improperly connecting quick release leashes to their vests rendering the quick release mechanism useless. “Rescue vest pfd” release harnesses are unreliable as a connecting point for river surf leashes as they often bind and do not release due to improper threading or side loading pressure.
CGA PFD’s are designed for brief rescue swims in the water and returning the person to their boat or kayak or for possible safe swim to shore. River surfers are unaware that CGA pfd’s will not keep the face out of the water in the event of knocked unconscious. River surfers are also not aware that flush drowning can occur while wearing a CGA PFD.
Furthermore, CGA PFD’s are not designed for continuous swims in the river as river surfing does. PFD’s in general for river surfing fail to provide for the realistic activity of river surfing.
Advocating For Safe River Surfing Gear:
I will continue to advocate for testing of leashes used for river surfing along with testing of pfd’s used for river surfing.
You can also advocate for proper river surf gear by reaching out to the manufacturers of your leashes demanding that improvements to their leashes be made for self-releasing mechanisms and that they make a safety recall of all quick release leashes sold for river surfing.
You can also reach out to the PFD manufactures and demand a river surfing specific pfd be developed.
Lastly, American Whitewater, American Canoe, and all the other river safety organizations need to connect properly with organizations such as the British Canoe Association and Bend Park and Recreation concerning their banning of river surfing leashes. And then American Whitewater, American Canoe, etc. need to actually commission proper research on river surfing and the use of leashes and PFD’s with an end goal of public safety releases and education on how to safely river surf. The mere saying “you should take a swift water course” does not meet the safety needs of river surfing in general.
Safe River Surfing:
First, do not use any leash system in the river whitewater environment until a self-releasing river surfing leash is developed. This might mean temporarily no longer surfing river waves that you have been dependent on using a leash. Your life is at stake.
Second, be aware that if you choose to river surf with a PFD that it provides little safety in the event of becoming unconscious. And that even when wearing a PFD, you can still drown on the surface of the river due to “flush drowning”. So when in doubt, don’t go out. Keep on eye on each other when river surfing. And learn about “flush drowning”.
Denver Surf Reports on Pause:
Until the industry, ancillary governing river safety organizations, and the river surfing community makes a paradigm shift in use of reengineered actual safe river surfing specific leashes and pfd’s, the Denver Surf Report will no longer provide Chatfield release information, river surf reports, or any articles promoting river surfing.
If you have any questions, concerns, etc., please reach me directly.
You can find me river surfing without a leash when and where it is safe to do so.
Stay safe, surf safe.
LBK
The Denver Surf Report 