How jet skis drivers search and rescue big wave surfers

Big wave surfing is a death-defying subdiscipline in which experienced athletes ride huge waves, typically at least 20 feet (6.2 meters) high.

Consequently, big wave surfers prepare physically and mentally for the world's largest waves in several ways.

Physical preparation often involves training the body through exercises that improve lung capacity, cardiovascular health, and oxygen efficiency.

The training can include activities such as breath training and yoga.

Mental preparation involves learning to embrace fear and rigorously preparing for the worst-case scenario so that the surfer knows what to do in difficult situations.

The psychological work can involve visualization, meditation, and other mental exercises.

Big wave surfers may also prepare by learning about the specific waves and conditions they will be surfing and practicing with smaller waves before attempting larger ones.

However, Mother Nature is sometimes way too mighty for the human spirit, and surfers find themselves in life-or-death situations.

Read more

 

Helicopter rescues Jet Ski destroyed by Giant Waves

As a big wave surfing legend, Kai Lenny sure must have seen some interesting things. Lenny has made big waves his passion, and this passion is not free of danger. If one wants to ride the big waves, one has to pay the price. This price might be broken bones, broken surfboards, or broken jet skis. The latter most happened with Kai Lenny, as he lost a beloved jet ski to the harsh tow at Jaws.  Fortunately, there are amazing Helicopter Pilots that can retrieve the carnage. From Watermen News

Drones for Water Search and Rescue

The use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or “drones” for a wide variety of operations and businesses has been dramatically increasing both nationally and internationally.  The drone regulatory environment in the United States continues to evolve. New drone capabilities and more effective ways to use these capabilities are constantly being developed and implemented. Drones have quickly become the most widely used tool for many industries. From Police and Fire Departments to agriculture and energy operations, drones have become essential to boosting safety and productivity.

How does this important capability improve the SAR planner’s ability to search for persons in distress? Which drone is appropriate and most effective for a search based on the circumstances of the case? How does the SAR Mission Coordinator (SMC)/Incident Commander (IC) gain approval to use drones for a particular SAR operation? These are challenging questions that must be answered before contemplating the use of UAS in a particular SAR mission.

SAR Coordinators (SCs), SMCs/ICs, State, Tribal, Territorial/Insular Area, local SAR authorities, and volunteers interested in using UAS for SAR will also find important information and guidance in this Addendum in the development, management, and operation of their UAS programs.

What About Drones for Water Search and Rescue

Over the past few years, there has been an increasing interest in using Drones in support of water search and rescue.  Regardless of the type of water from flood, river, swiftwater, coastal, ocean, surf or ice, a drone can be another valuable tool in your toolbox to effectively, efficiently and most important of all safely assist with the conduct water search and rescue operations.

However, there is little evidence that they are used in a structured and strategic manner to best effect. An effective response is essential if lives are to be saved and suffering alleviated.

"In order to realize the true value of a drone’s capabilities in water search and rescue, Drone Pilots and SAR authorities from the Incident Commander (IC) on down need to gain experience by employing drones on actual SAR operations and in training.  Only then will you realize that drones provide another tool in the toolbox for the Incident Commanders that can and will prove invaluable."

A search and rescue drone used by emergency services, such as police officers, firefighters or volunteer rescue teams, is ideal for searching over vast areas for missing persons in need of rescue and in any environment.  Search times can be significantly reduced while limiting potential risk to the party being rescued as well as rescuers. There are many options and benefits to using drones for water search and rescue.

With a lifetime in all water environments to include coastal, ocean, surf, swiftwater, flood and ice rescue, safety, and over ten years in drone operations for public safety. SAS Water Safety and EMMU Aerial’s instructors can help your agency evaluate how drones can be used in the preparation for, and response to all water search and rescue emergencies.  We can also provide assistance with all your training requirements and develops standard operating procedures (SOP) for their deployment before, during and after an event.

The Drones for Water Search and Rescue Course was developed and designed to be taught in a three day format with 1 day classroom and 2 days situational field / flight training, where students already have a FAA Part 107 with basic flight knowledge and experience in land search and rescue. Students will gain knowledge and practical experience in hydrology and moving water dynamics, pre-planning, size-up, site control, scene management, drone platforms and payloads, aerial search techniques, rescue mission support, thermal imaging, night operations and lost person behavior. The course will enable the students to identify clearly their own limitations as well as those of the equipment, so that they will be able to utilize drones more safely and effectively.

Contact SAS Water Safety or EMMU Aerial today for more information on integrating drones into water search and rescue.

 

By Design: Examining the Jet Ski’s Giant Impact on Big Wave Surfing

“Oh, it’s had a humungous affect on the progression of big wave surfing over the past 30 years. No question. ”

This from Frank Quirarte, the renowned surf photographer and heavy water safety expert from Half Moon Bay, California who, having recently returned from an epic strike mission to Cortes Bank, definitely knows what he’s talking about. He isn’t referencing any particular surfboard design, breath-holding training method or inflatable vest. He’s not talking about different GoPro mounts, either. What Quirarte is pointing to as having arguably the single most significant influence on big wave surfing over the past few decades is the Jet Ski.

Peahi, Teahupo’o, Aussie bommies and slabs, Mullaghmore, Cortes Bank and, of course, Nazarè — all tackled at size with a hand on the throttle, and in each case completely redefining the parameters of what is considered to be rideable surf. Then there’s the paradigm shift when it comes to safety, with the introduction of precise teamwork and coordinated rescue protocol. Yet although having become ubiquitous in big wave lineups around the world, and the topic of much discussion and even controversy since gaining popularity in the early 1990s, the wider surfing world has been told virtually nothing about how and why these machines work, or, in fact, anything about their performance and design evolution. So let’s fix that right now. Read More

RWC Rescue Loop For Extreme Rescue

 

Pioneered in Hawaii more than 18 years ago by Waterman Archie Kalepa, the goal was to enable quicker rescue pick-ups instead of the left-hand grab. It proved itself in extreme conditions at Peahi (Jaws).

With the help of Archie, Waterman Unlimited designed our RWC (Rescue Water Craft) Rescue Ring for extreme rescue personnel.  Our bright orange, large polypropylene line with a large inner foam soft grip ring, make this the perfect addition to your tow-in, or rescue watercraft. 

For more see this video on Rigging and using the AK Rescue Ring https://youtu.be/BhW_iUiaIFI

Pro Surfers practice Jet Ski Rescue Training for Big Wave Surfing

Best time to train is in a controlled environment, so when things go sideways on the big day there is no question on what the right decision is to make.

Who’s Driving the Ski? This Is Where Big-Wave Rescue Teams Come From

Big waves have a certain mystique to them, at least when viewed from the beach or via the internet. When you get into the thick of things, with tons of water moving around, the mystique can fade pretty quickly. Now add the typical lineup chaos you might experience at a crowded break like Malibu or Pleasure Point, and shit gets downright horrifying.

With more and more people getting into surfing in recent years, surprisingly – or not – there’s also more and more people taking on the waves of Maverick’s, Jaws, and Nazaré. And unlike your local beachbreak, the crowds at big-wave locations can produce some truly life-threatening scenarios. I caught up with several rescue teams to learn about what these storied locations look like from the perspective of the rescuer, and the efforts being made in recent years to manage the crowds of chargers who come to test themselves on some of the biggest and gnarliest waves in the world. I basically wanted to find out where these rescue teams come from and why they do what they do. Read More

Jet ski driver completes incredible rescue of big wave surfer at Nazaré

 

This is the dramatic moment a jet ski driver pulled off an incredible rescue of a big wave surfer at Nazaré in Portugal. The drone footage shows professional surfer Lucas Chumbo being towed into a monster wave on November 20th. 

After an impressive ride, the Brazilian exits the wave successfully and waits for his teammate Ian Cosenza to pick him up on the jet ski. However, as Cosenza approaches Chumbo, another huge wave rolls towards them threatening to flatten them both in the impact zone. Chumbo manages to grab onto the sled on the back of the jet ski and 

Cosenza accelerates as fast as he can towards the shore. But the drama doesn't end there: the two are now pursued by a mass of white water travelling at 60 miles per hour which quickly catches the pair and swallows them up. When something like this happens it generally doesn’t end well but against all odds, Cosenza manages to ride the jet ski out of the mountain of churning foam and get them both to safety. 

The WSL (World Surf League) described this as “one of the craziest rescues ever seen.” Chumbo is currently one of the best big wave surfers in the world.

Naval Special Warfare Operating Jet Skis

 

Ever wondered how the Navy would pluck wounded special forces operators from an enemy beach, fast? Getting off an exposed beach in one piece, under incoming fire, is surely one of the most dangerous operations imaginable. It requires speed and great confidence in the personnel and machines involved. Surprisingly perhaps, commercial off-the-shelf water scooters, similar to the personal watercraft used by water sports enthusiasts the world over, are a popular solution among special forces.

Naval Special Warfare Command’s love of the humble Jet Ski, and they call them that even in official documents, has gone under the radar for many years. But they are now cropping up more and more often in the public domain. The Navy released photos of Jet Skis being used by Special Operations Forces in Greece in 2017, and with Thai forces during Exercise Tempest Wind 2019 in June. Most recently U.S. Special Operations Command issued a request for three Jet Skis to replace ones worn out during training. These will be used by the Naval Special Warfare Basic Training Command in San Diego, California to prepare future Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC) who will operate small boats for the US Navy SEALs.

Jet Skis have the advantages of being quick and agile, and can operate in extremely shallow water including through the surf zone to a beach. Their main task is to extract special forces, and they can be used to pick up casualties, downed pilots or prisoners, or be used in counter-terrorism missions. To get where the action is they can be carried by larger boats or, for long range covert missions, in the hangar of the secretive SEAL Insertion, Observation and Neutralization (SEALION). These high speed stealth boats are semi-submersible meaning that they partially sink in order to reduce their radar signatures even further.

The US Navy is not alone in appreciating the merits of water scooters and several NATO special forces units also have them in their inventories. The Navy’s preferred model is the Yamaha FX Cruiser SHO, although other countries use a wide array of competing makes and designs. In Navy service the two or three-seat jet skis are highly modified and fitted with inflatable anti-roll collars and rescue sleds so that equipment or special forces can be towed behind. Naturally the crew can be armed, and machine guns can be fitted to help suppress enemy positions.

In the Persian Gulf the Iranian IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) use water scooters armed with rocket propelled grenades for reconnaissance and nuisance attacks on commercial shipping.

Special Forces are always experimenting with new ideas and technologies so new adaptions of the Jet Ski have been developed at Sofwerx, a Florida based innovation center which provides rapid prototyping of potential solutions for US Special Operations Command. Earlier this year they tested a submersible personal watercraft which can operate like a regular Jet Ski on the surface, but can also hide beneath the waves. This could allow it to be launched and recovered from a submarine, a capability which currently no Navy has.

Shared from Forbes by H Sutton

Wipeout Wearable: Quiksilver’s Inflatable Vest May Save Surfers’ Lives

 

Surf brand Quiksilver partnered with diving equipment manufacturer Aqua Lung to develop an inflatable flotation device. The Highline Airlift, a CO2-powered inflation vest, aims to lift surfers who fall on big waves. 

Most surfers don’t wear floatation devices, even on sizable waves. Quiksilver wants to change that with the Highline Airlift, an inflatable floatation device small and light enough that it does not encumber athletes riding big waves.

Announced today, Quiksilver claims the Highline Airlift “is the pinnacle of water safety technology.” It uses compressed CO2 to quickly inflate airbags in a manner similar to those used by backcountry skiers caught in avalanches.

It’s worth noting the brand calls out the fact that it is not (legally) considered a PFD in the U.S. or Australia, but is in the European Union. It is “part of a holistic approach to ocean safety.” 

Shared from Gear Junkie

 

Secret Service Water Rescue Detail Go Through Grueling Training on Outer Banks

 

Cole Yeatts shouted instructions to 10 Secret Service agents gathered on the beach under the afternoon sun – nine men, one woman, all lean. They were learning another way to save the president of the United States.

“Who are we looking for and what are we looking at?” Yeatts asked. “Victim and …?”

“Waves,” answered an agent.

“Correct: waves,” Yeatts echoed.

Five of the agents lined up behind five 2-foot-long orange rescue buoys and pairs of swim fins propped in the sand.

Yeatts, director of Kitty Hawk Ocean Rescue, counted down: “One, two, three, go!”

The agents grabbed their gear and sprinted into the surf. One tripped and fell, but quickly recovered. All struggled to slip on the fins as waves broke across their backs. Instructors representing victims stood in chest-deep water about 100 yards offshore.

“We don’t make it easy on them,” said Sean Donlon, a special agent and water rescue instructor. “The protectee does not care how much training we have – he just wants to be rescued.”

In a real emergency, the victim could be former presidents George H.W. Bush, who loves boating at the family property in Kennebunkport, Maine, or Barack Obama, who loves to body surf in the large waves in Hawaii where he grew up, or a member of the Donald Trump family at Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla.

These agents voluntarily exchange dark suits and earpieces for swimsuits and sunscreen.  They pull duty on beaches in Hawaii or Tahiti rather than wearing a bulletproof vest while guarding a motorcade in the middle of a crowded city. A regular detail of agents guards the person being protected at the same time the water-rescue agents also keep watch, Donlon said.

Three weeks and three days of intense instruction and tests begin at a Washington, D.C., pool. Some don’t pass the initial swim test of covering 800 meters in 16 minutes, or the requirement to swim a length of a 25-meter pool underwater four separate times with a minute break between laps.

On the beach, the Kitty Hawk rescue team grills them for two days. They learn to retrieve a victim using a variety of grips and bring them to shore through the unforgiving Outer Banks surf where at least six people drowned last year. The class learns to recognize rip currents, and may intentionally dive into the strong outward flow to get to a victim more quickly.

“This is not like swimming a pool,” Yeatts said.

The group then goes to the Coast Guard’s Air Station Elizabeth City for three days’ training with the nation’s best rescue swimmers. There they learn to deploy from helicopters and wrestle victims into rescue baskets.

Elsewhere, agents also train for white-water rescues. Former Vice President Dick Cheney loves to fish in rivers with rapids.

“This is one of the most demanding fields of Secret Service training,” Donlon said.

Next fall, the same group learns emergency medical treatment, a first for Secret Service agents. They will learn how to handle spinal injuries and heart attacks as well as jellyfish stings.

Of the 3,200 Secret Service agents stationed around the globe, 75 serve on the water-rescue detail, Donlon said. Typically, about 10 percent are women.

Many of the trainees have been lifeguards or college swimmers. Most are in their mid-30s with experience as an agent, Special Agent Scott Healy said.

The Secret Service began water-rescue training during the George H.W. Bush administration, Donlon said. The Coast Guard conducted it in the early years and still oversees the overall curriculum. The class began coming to Kitty Hawk in 2003 at the recommendation of a senior Coast Guard official.

Shared from First in Freedom Daily

USCG Sector Columbia River Cape Kiwanda Rescue

 Rescue Watercraft (RWC) operators rescued February 1, 2016.

Shawn Alladio, the discreet woman who saves big wave surfers / Surfer Today

She is one of the most influential people in big wave surfing. Her name is Shawn Alladio. She has been teaching how to save fearless wave riders' lives, since 1989.

Alladio is a woman in a male-dominated environment. Big surf. In 1979, she bought her first Kawasaki jet ski and within years she had established the K38 Way of Training, a lifesaving method involving personal water crafts (PWC). More; Shawn Alladio, the discreet woman who saves big wave surfers