PADDLEBOARDERS are being urged to stay safe when out at sea after local rescuers say they have seen an increase in calls.

The most recent call dealt with by Aberystwyth's RNLI crew was on Friday, 9 June, when concerns were raised by a member of the public for the safety of two paddle boarders off Constitution Hill, Aberystwyth, due to offshore winds.

Aberystwyth’s Atlantic 85 Class lifeboat ‘Spirit of Friendship’ was launched at 4.15pm and the volunteers crew quickly located the two paddle boarders and established they were safe and well and competent to return to the shore unaided.

Commenting on the callout Lifeboat Operations Manager, Geraint Wheeler, said: “We are grateful for the vigilance of the caller reporting their concerns for the two paddle boarders, given strong offshore winds. The RNLI have seen an increase in the numbers of calls to paddleboarders as the sport increases in popularity and significant number are to people who have been blown or swept out to sea. If you find yourself in difficulty at the coast, please call 999 and ask for the coastguard."

In recent years, stand-up paddleboarding has increased in popularity as an accessible and enjoyable activity for many, particularly since 2020.

The RNLI’s lifesaving figures show:

- Over the past five years, RNLI lifeboat volunteers have helped save the lives of 77 stand up paddleboarders, with 32 lives saved last year.

In 2022, RNLI lifeguards saw a staggering 155% rise in paddleboarding incidents compared with 2021 while volunteer lifeboat crews saw an increase of 20%.

- In 2018, the charity’s lifeguards responded to 247 paddleboarding incidents compared to 1,290 last year, a 422% increase over the past five years.

The RNLI has teamed up with 12 expert training agencies and National Governing Bodies (NGBs) across the UK and Ireland to develop and promote four key safety messages for paddleboarders.

The group are encouraging those heading out on the water to:

- Wear a buoyancy aid

- Carry a phone in a waterproof pouch

- Wear the correct leash

- Avoid offshore winds