Winter Paddling Guidelines

From October 1 to the end of March, these rules are in effect. To ensure the safety of all paddlers, the following rules must be strictly adhered to. Failure to comply may result in termination of Lotus membership.

• PFDs: All individuals must wear on their person while on the water a full Personal Flotation Device (PFD) approved by Transport Canada; inflatable PFD’s are not approved for winter paddling at the Lotus Sports Club.
• Clothing: Paddlers must wear appropriate clothing that is suitable for changing weather and water conditions and have a change of clothes at the clubhouse. A paddler must be prepared and dress as if he/she will have to be in the water and swim. Light coloured or reflective clothing is also recommended for evening paddling.
• Communication: There must be communication capability for crews or groups; one person must carry a fully charged cell phone in a waterproof case or marine VHF radio.
• Paddle Plan: When only one or two paddlers are going out on the water, information regarding the paddling plan must be left with another responsible individual. Check in with this person upon returning to the clubhouse.
• Sobriety: Alcohol consumption and use of illicit drugs before or during paddling are strictly prohibited.

• Weather Limits: Paddling is not permitted when there is a small craft warning, if there is any thunder or lightning, or if fog limits your ability to safely navigate or to be seen.
• Certifications: Paddlers using an OC1, OC2 or SUP outside of regular scheduled practices must be certified by a coach or identified as meeting certification requirements; in the case of an OC2, both people must be certified for its use outside of practice.
• Daylight Boundaries: Daylight boundaries for winter paddling are east to Port Moody, north up Indian Arm and west to the Second Narrows Bridge. It is illegal to pass under the Second Narrows Bridge; this is dangerous and the Coast Guard will issue fines.
• Hazard Areas: The Kinder Morgan fence extends quite far into the inlet. There are huge currents and standing waves that occur frequently in that area as well as in the portion of the inlet that extends to the Second Narrows Bridge. Paddlers should not approach within 40 meters (three OC6 lengths) of the fence.

Paddlers must be approved by a Lotus coach to participate in evening paddling. Evening paddling after dark in the Burrard Inlet is prohibited unless you are participating in a community or a club sanctioned event with strict adherence to these rules:

• No Solo Paddling: Paddling alone after dusk is strictly prohibited.
• Time Restrictions: Evening paddling is restricted to Wednesdays and Thursdays between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm. All paddlers must be off the water by 8:00 pm.
• Course Restrictions: Course restrictions after dusk extend west to 150 meters east of the Kinder Morgan dock and east to 150 meters west of the fuel loading dock. All boats must remain within 6 boat lengths from shore.
• Mandatory Lighting: Mandatory lighting must be on each OC6 – white bow and stern lights. Each group of small boats on the water must have a front and rear white light; the lead boat in a group must have a white front light and the trailing boat must have a rear light. If a larger group separates into smaller groups, each smaller group must have a front and rear white light.

If you have any questions about these guidelines, please reach out to our Safety Director at safety@lotussports.com.