Buoyancy Aids and Life Jackets

The RNLI has released a serious warning after a recent rescue of three experienced sailors in Devon. While all three were saved, only one of their lifejackets worked correctly. A recent RNLI survey in the South West of England uncovered a shocking statistic: out of 803 lifejackets checked, 523 had faults.

Based on reporting from the BBC News article.

To help keep paddlers safe on the water we recommended following our guidance on buoyancy and lifejackets as found in our Paddle Safer document 2.2 Buoyancy Aids.

Buoyancy Aids

In most cases of paddlesport activity a buoyancy aid is worn and that regular checks are needed to be carried out to ensure it remains in good working order. Here is some useful information on how to check and maintain your buoyancy aid.

Lifejackets

In some circumstances lifejackets are worn, and that the appropriate checks need to be completed to ensure it remains in good working order.

The RNLI have produced some guidance on How to check and maintain your lifejacket.

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Paddle NI's Participation and Development Officer, Mark Stephens Trip to Iceland

by Ben Hamilton • 10 July 2026

Paddle NI’s Participation and Development Officer, Mark, travelled to Iceland after being invited to coach at the Iceland Sea Kayak Symposium, an event that brings together sea kayakers and coaches from across the world. The invitation reflects Mark’s growing expertise and the work he does to support paddlers and clubs here in Northern Ireland. Sea kayaking continues to be one of the most popular areas within our progressive paddles programme and opportunities like this help us keep our development work aligned with the highest coaching standards. The symposium focuses on sharing best practice, developing coaching approaches, and building the skills needed for safe paddling in moderate and advanced water environments, all of which directly supports our club work, leadership development and participation programmes. Paddle NI Head of Operations Rodger Hamilton said, “We encouraged and supported Mark to attend because staying up‑to‑date with the latest coaching methods and technical skills directly benefits the paddlers and volunteers he works with throughout the year. He has returned with new ideas, fresh perspectives and useful learning from working alongside international coaches”. We’re proud to see Northern Ireland represented at an event like this and delighted that Mark has come back with knowledge and connections that will strengthen our local programmes and the wider paddlesport community. Our next series of progressive paddles will run from September, keep an eye on social media channels for details.