If worn around the waist, there is no option to carry a throwline on the same belt (it is not good practice to wear multiple waist belts each with separate release systems). To reduce the potential for this happening, changing the position of the belt from the waist to up around the shoulders and under the armpits looks like a safer alternative. This has the added advantages of holding the leash higher up from the board, saving feet from getting tangled when moving about on the board and reduces the potential for the belt to rotate around your body when under load. A powerful and unrelenting current in a river or tidal estuary for example, can easily hinder you from being able to reach your ankle leash should need to release yourself from your board in an emergency.

Over a period of time I have looked carefully at the design of QR Belts for SUP paddlers. Following the above principles, I looked at the following points in creating a QR belt which meets the requirements as near as possible. If the belt moves around during use, it could be challenging to reach the single manual release toggle with just one hand. Whilst wearing a QR belt is a lot safer than wearing the leash around your ankle in moving water it is worthwhile learning how it functions correctly, the applying of risk assessments when wearing one and understanding the potential issues which might occur when wearing one. Personal flotation devices are crucial for helping paddlers conserve energy and stay safe if they end up in the water.The airbelt PFD is suitable for paddlers that are paddling in flat water conditions,such as lakes or calm seas. This provides you with the safety of having a buoyancy aid available in case of an emergency, without being restricted. Even if you are an experienced paddler we would always recommend wearing the airbelt PFD as a minimum safety requirement. It is discreet, comfortable and easy to wear, and could be potentially life saving.Flowing water can present many dangers when paddleboarding and requires certain safety equipment as well as experience, skill and knowledge of your surroundings. One such hazard, which has been identified as paddleboarding has continued to grow in popularity, is the issue of an ankle leash being caught on any underwater objects and the difficulties faced when trying to detach it.

The QR waist belt is an essential bit of kit for SUP on any inland waters, having the leash attached to the waist offers a comfortable riding experience as your leash is out of the water and away from any potential drag risks. Comes with open-gate carabiners; these can be replaced with screw gate carabiners to avoid the possibility of them opening and snagging. To increase your awareness around SUP safety, then the WSA iSUP Smart Online Courses is a short course covering all the essential SUP safety information to keep you and your family safe on the water. We also offer the in-person WSA iSUP Smart workshop through our network of accredited schools across the UK, and places can be booked online. This course is inexpensive and covers the aspects of SUP Safety every paddleboarder should be aware of. If worn around the chest, under tension, the manual QR ball can be pulled behind you where you cannot reach it.

You can remove ankle or thigh cuffs using an FCS Allen key then replacing with a rail saver (the bit that is attached to the other end of the leash and is used to attach it to the board); thread either a screw gate carabiner or a D-ring through the Velcro on the rail saver. This rids you of the bulky cuff allowing you to attach any leash to the belts discussed below via metal rather than material. If the belt moves around during use, it could be challenging to reach the manual release toggle with just one hand. The toggles are easy to find, hold and pull. This front toggle releases the whole belt. The side toggle releases the leash. As I have short arms, I use a short extender so that the QR sits next to the belt where it is easier to reach. Do not use a single loop on the anchor string as this allows the anchor string to cut into the rail The British Canoeing white water safety and rescue training course (WWSR) which includes SUP boarding should cover the safe wearing and deployment of the QR belt.