# Safety requirements



## MrFaulty (May 15, 2008)

I went to purchase some flares to make me legal and was advised (and I have checked) that in NSW the ponly safety requirement for a canoe or kayak is a suitable lifejacket and even this is only required when more than 400metres from shore (including enclosed waters) and even then, if the kayak is fitted with flotation so it will stay afloat , a lifejacket is not required!!

I am not advising that this lack of safety gear is sensible but just what is legal, personally I have the PFD, mobile phone, compass, will be investing in a PLB and VHF and flares. Will not worry about V sheet as I reckon they are useless on a kayak


----------



## grinner (May 15, 2008)

faulty, i think in qld. u dont have to carry anything. 
to be honest the waterways around brissie are so busy, you could undoubtedly borrow a mobile off someone within yelling distance.

any vessel which requires a licence has a so called duty to operate in a responsible manner obligation.
thus if you stuff up ie go out in big seas or crash on a bar you are by definition irresponsible and can therefore be charged. kayaks dont yet have this obligation.

my hope is that no one stuffs up and leads the government to have an excuse to regulate us. so stay safe

pete


----------



## mehi (May 25, 2009)

grinner said:


> my hope is that no one stuffs up and leads the government to have an excuse to regulate us. so stay safe
> 
> pete


A very good point indeed

Cheers Dave


----------



## MrFaulty (May 15, 2008)

think the most likely cause of us being regulated would be if someone came a cropper and it resulted in a lot of media attention, hence I reckon the best solution is to regulate ourselves to make sure we don't have troubles and if we do then the authorities can see that we are a sensible bunch - ie always have a life jacket, compass, some form of communications device, PLB if you can afford one etc.


----------



## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

Have a look in the wiki under Safety - theres links to each states minimum safety standards in there.


----------



## Peril (Sep 5, 2005)

MrFaulty said:


> I went to purchase some flares to make me legal and was advised (and I have checked) that in NSW the ponly safety requirement for a canoe or kayak is a suitable lifejacket and even this is only required when more than 400metres from shore (including enclosed waters) and even then, if the kayak is fitted with flotation so it will stay afloat , a lifejacket is not required!!
> 
> I am not advising that this lack of safety gear is sensible but just what is legal, personally I have the PFD, mobile phone, compass, will be investing in a PLB and VHF and flares. Will not worry about V sheet as I reckon they are useless on a kayak


This is completely wrong, but I've answered on this so many times I can't be bothered repeating it


----------



## yankatthebay (Dec 14, 2007)

I decided to humor myself by actually reading the "Marine Safety (General) Regulation 2009". For those of you who are wondering what you need to carry in a kayak in NSW (legally), here is your 100% correct answer according to the NSW Legalislation:

1. Wear a type 1 life jacket (unless in enclosed waters, during daylight hours). Crossing a tidal bar you are required to have a lifejacket of type 1 worn in a kayak as well (even if it is considered "enclosed waters").

2. Well...there is no number 2. According to Schedule 5, Part 2, Clause 4: *A personal watercraft, kayak or canoe (other than an outrigger canoe) on open waters is not required to carry safety equipment specified in Part 1*

For those of you wondering what is in Part 1...it is things like the compass, charts, anchor, bilge pump, bucket, flares, v-sheet, torch, marine radio, fire-extinguisher, EPIRB, Paddles/oars, whistle...and last but not least...you dont need to take any drinking water with you (how stupid is this last one, now really, we all need drinking water on a kayak regardless I believe).

So, there you have it guys. If you really want to have a read through the legal mumbo jumble the link to it is here at the bottom of this post. Just click the back/forward links to move from one page to the next.

http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/fragview/inforce/subordleg+109+2009+cd+0+N?fragid=104


----------



## Hantu (Aug 24, 2009)

I just went to the wiki and followed the link to www.marinesafety.vic.gov.au to check out whats required in Victorian ewaters but the website wont open up for me. Can anyone let me know the rules for victoria? I will not be going offshore just bays and estuary / rivers lakes.

thanks
Alex


----------



## yankatthebay (Dec 14, 2007)

Thought I would read what you guys down there have to put up with, and found it interesting that if you might actually need a boat operators licence if you own a hobie mirage series kayak. The regulation excludes the need for a licence only for vessles involved only in sailing, or not using any "mechanical" means of propulsion. This might be interpreted as the mirage drive being "mechanical" in operation.
Hope I am not opening a can of worms here.

Back to the question asked...

Regardless of the waters in Vic, you need the following in a kayak:
* You need to have a PFD (type 1, 2 or 3 - doesnt seem to matter).
* if your hull is enclosed (ie a kayak) you need a bilge pump fitted (or a bailer bucket).

if you are more than 2 nautical mile out to sea, you need the following addition items in a kayak:
* Compass
* Orange smoke flares
* red distress flares
* spare oar/paddle
* floating torch

That is all there is to say about that. The rules in the Vic legislation are actually very clear. No real room for getting it wrong, except for "mechanical propulsion" as to if that applies to the need to actually have a boat operators licence for a Hobie Mirage Series kayak.
It does make it clear though if you put an electric motor onto your kayak, that you will then need an operators licence.


----------

