Profiling a Paddler

A few weeks ago, I published a 25 question survey to learn more about paddlers and their needs. Paddlers and support crew are critical for the success of any open water swim, and my goal was to find ways for swimmers and fellow race directors to support their support crews. Support for everyone, yay!

Before I get into the findings from the survey results, take a moment to understand the responsibility of a support paddler in my article, Paddling for a Swimmer: The Team Sport with Lots of Silence.

Here's some basic info about the folks who responded to my survey (59 responders total):

The average responder ranged between 36-55 years old, with the majority (36%) aged 46-55. I'm assuming some bias towards responders over 30 years old both due to where I shared the survey (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, local message boards) and because that demographic may have more time available to dedicate to swimmer support. (Maybe they're parents of swimmers who are in college or out of school, or are in a financial/employment position where they have more time or disposable income to either own a vessel or be able to assist without taking time away from work.)

This next piece of data is possibly the most interesting from the survey: when asked "Do you plan to support a swimmer in the future?" 70% of responders indicated they specifically would support an individual swimmer if requested by that swimmer.

Swimmers, take note: building relationships with paddlers is what will help you recruit a paddler for you future swims!

I feel like although this answer is standard to open water swimming event culture nowadays, this is a critical piece of feedback for me as the Portland Bridge Swim co-director. One of the options we provide swimmers from outside the PNW is that we'll pair them with a volunteer kayaker. It's been pretty difficult to find reliable and competent escort paddlers to volunteer for the event. This data is in line with what we're seeing: paddlers are willing to paddle for swimmers they know, or swimmers who have asked for support themselves, rather than relying on race directors to find volunteers for those swimmers.

In a similar question, "What situation are you most likely to be a support paddler for?" 52.6% of responders chose "When I know the swimmer who needs a paddler." The second most common response (21.1%) was "When the event is local and requires minimal travel."

Reiterating to swimmers: the best chance you have at having a paddler at events is if you cultivate relationships with paddlers and invite them to support you for your event.

So, where do you find support paddlers?

Start with swimmers:

Local open water swimming groups and paddling associations seem to be the most dense support paddler communities. You can also ask race directors for introductions to long-time local paddling volunteers.

Event directors, here's some interesting info for you:

65% of responders stated they disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement, "On a scale of 1 to 5, please indicate your response to the following statement:

"I volunteer to paddle because I believe volunteering will help me be selected for events in the future." Trying to recruit volunteers by offering them discounted, free, or priority registration may not be an effective motivation to recruit paddlers.

I also wanted to confirm if offering arm-paddling kayaks were the right equipment to provide for paddlers. 80% of responders stated that kayaks - paddling with arms was their preferred vessel, with pedal kayaks with 10% of responders.

Something I wish I had included is whether paddlers prefer sit-on-top or sit-inside kayaks. As a race organizer, I need to plan for inexperienced kayakers capsizing. I've found (also from personal experience) that sit-on-top kayaks are easier to flop back onto without it requiring help from a power boat. Unfortunately, it seems that a lot of recreational kayak rental companies offer either only sit-inside kayaks or a mix of the two. The good news is that kayakers capsizing during the Portland Bridge Swim is a pretty rare occurrence.

Another interesting data point is the duration paddlers are able/willing to paddle for:

The sheer majority of paddlers surveyed indicated their ideal paddling duration is 6 hours or less. For Portland Bridge Swim, some of our paddlers do push 7 hours if the swimmer is slower or caught in the incoming tide/swimming against the current. This is something to consider preparation-wise, especially for inexperienced and/or volunteer paddlers.

Finances & Expenses:

I recently published an article (Should race directors be paid?) because I had spoken with another race director that does compensate herself and her team. I was curious about whether paddlers believe they should be compensated for their time. While 32% of responders stated they agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, "On a scale of 1 to 5, please indicate your response to the following statement:

"Paddlers should be compensated for their time supporting a swimmer." I found it surprising that 44% of responders were neutral, stating they neither agreed nor disagreed they should be compensated. I'm curious about whether there's some swimmer guilt mixed in here.

Another question I asked was in regards to costs: "What is the event or swimmer you're support paddling for responsible for?" 58% of responders indicated that, at minimum, the cost of equipment rental or use should be covered by the event or swimmer. Of those responders, roughly half indicated some variation of lodging, food, and/or transportation costs. I was surprised that 28% of responders said the paddler is responsible for all of their own costs, including equipment and travel. Most of the remaining answers stated it depended on whether they were supporting a friend or family member (no or minimal costs) versus paddling for a stranger (expect a stipend plus most costs covered) or for an event (expect equipment to be provided by event and stipend to cover costs).

Paddler Feedback & Requests

I asked a few open-ended questions to gather as much feedback, recommendations, and requests from paddlers.

What is your favorite piece of gear as a support paddler?

(Obviously, many responses indicated their personal vessel or favorite type of vessel. I did not include responses like "my kayak.")

Note: I have ranked these answers in order of frequency of the response.

Equipment:

1. Comfortable kayak seat/cushion

2. Quality Paddle

3. Dry bag

4. Comfortable, well-fitting PFD

5. Marine Radio

6. Water bottle holder/cup holder

7. Compass

8. Back support

9. Water bottle

10. Water bladder

11. Deck bag

Attire:

1. Sun Hat

2. Sun hoodie

3. Lightweight towel for sun protection

4. Lightweight Jacket

5. Fleece Jacket

6. Thermal SUP pants

7. Fingerless gloves

8. Sun glasses

Food:

1. Salted Gummy Worms

2. Salt tabs

What do you wish race directors, swimmers, or any other people relying on your support provided to help you in your role as a support paddler?

About 50% of responses including wording like "recognize that kayakers are more than just floating bodies."

Race info:

• Better maps and course markers

• More communication pre-event with event info, course maps, training

• Weekly event update emails for the final 8 weeks leading up to the event/monthly updates before the 8-week mark

• Clear directions

• Training/warning of any hazards in unfamiliar waters

• Introductions

• Clear instructions for responsibilities of a paddler

• Pre-event safety training for paddlers

Equipment:

• Snacks and fuel for paddlers

• Snacks after the event

• Any essential safety or swimmer assist items

• Sunscreen

• Whistle

• Rescue tube

• Walkie talkie/marine radio

• Sun hats

• Night lights/head lamp

Recognition:

• Event swag, same as swimmers

• Race t-shirt

• "Recognition" and "gratitude" were mentioned in 50%+ of responses

Logistics:

• A way to stretch from the same sitting position

• Coverage to take bathroom breaks

• Realistic options for peeing (mentioned in 50%+ of responses)

• Equipment try-outs ahead of the event

• Help loading/unloading heavy kayaks

• Help carrying equipment

• Clear and waterproof maps of the route

• Swimmer-specific written/printed feed plans for reference/reminders

• Remind swimmers that colors aren't visible with red light/at night

What do you find most challenging about being a swim escort paddler?

Ranked in order of most (#1) to least (#13) frequently answered

1. Poorly-marked courses

2. Comfort of vessel

3. Communication during race

4. Pre-race instruction or communication

5. Lack of bathroom solutions

6. Navigation

7. Fatigue

8. Speed of swimmer

9. Motion sickness

10. Lack of breaks

11. Wind

12. Speed boats/Recreational Boaters

13. Glare

Do you have any certifications that you feel better equipped you for support paddling?

Summary of responses:

62% of responses were blank, "no", "N/A"

• Water Safety Instructor

• CPR & AED

• First Aid

• Wilderness First Aid

• Search and Rescue

• EMT/Paramedic

• Self-rescue paddler courses

• American Canoe Association Paddling Certifications (various)

• Pool Lifeguarding

• Ocean Lifeguarding

• Being an open water swimmer

• USA Triathlon Certified Coach

• USMS coach (various levels)

• Safe Sport Certification

Is there any training that you would be interested in as a support paddler?

• Tips for making the vessel more comfortable

• Water Safety certifications

• How to rescue a distressed swimmer

• Self-rescue

• First Aid

• Lifeguard training (suitable/targeted for open water/support paddlers)

• Proper paddling technique

• Dealing with wind and currents

• How to paddle in rougher water and surf

• Proper paddling technique

• How to translate swimmer metrics to open water support

What advice would you give to new support paddlers?

These are direct quotes from the responses.

• Don't forget the sunscreen

• Stay positive and imagine what you would want to hear from someone supporting you on a swim/endurance event. Be that voice that’s interrupting any negative thoughts that pop up in their heads. Enjoy the success of their victory, because you played an integral part of their journey.

• Remember that you are the sight on the water - you guide the way. The swimmer follows you, never chase them!

• Pay attention to your swimmer, pay attention to the course conditions, plan ahead

• Figure out a way to pee in your boat. Be prepared for wind.

• Coordination with swimmer re: expectations.

• Understand what your swimmers needs and wants, be specific. Practice together as much as possible

• Get to know folks

• Safety for the swimmer and yourself are priority and enjoy the scenery

• Bring enough food for yourself

• Use good kayak

• PRACTICE - Test your equipment for comfort and functionality. Don't try anything new on race day and always pre-plan feeding with your swimmer as well as discussing role responsibilities.

• Get a good seat, light paddle, know your swimmer and know how to navigate

• Ask a lot of questions if you do not know your swimmer

• The swimmer follows you! Do not play hunt and chase.

• A kayak is a small vessel and your comfort counts. Packing for an ocean crossing for the swimmer is not ok.

• All feeds must be premixed

• Stay focused, be flexible and have fun!

• Your swimmer is the most important element

• Your swimmer is your #1 priority. Take care of them always. Nothing else matters.

• Practice with your swimmer if possible. if not, have them send videos so you know their stroke

• Be attentive. Hold your course. Don't hit or let paddle hit swimmer.

• Get to know open water

• Communicate! Before, during, after - it’s never too much.

• Coordinate with swimmer expectations before race as much as practical. Practice in water with them is able.

• Follow your swimmer’s requests (where to position, how to feed, etc.).

• Watch other swimmers & paddlers to spot route issues, ask before swim about route nuances.

• Don't forget to give your swimmer positive reinforcement. Swimmers are pretty stoic. You never know sort of battle they might be fighting. You might just say the thing that they hold on to for the next 30 minutes.

• Be familiar with your kayak, paddle, and have a great seat.

• You are the navigator.