Despite murky rules, paddlesports are popular
Anyone who casually observes the summer activity on area lakes and rivers knows that paddlesports, especially recreational (non-whitewater) kayaking, is booming.
The American Canoe Association reports that while canoeing declined slightly, kayak use grew from about 2.9 percent of all Americans in 2010 to about 4.3 percent in 2015. That means almost 5 million people took up kayaking during that 5-year span, a participation growth rate of 54 percent.
It鈥檚 encouraging that so many people are getting outdoors in non-powered boats. They鈥檙e benefitting from healthful physical activity and, hopefully, building affiliation for the public waters and associated lands they use and enjoy. With so many new paddlers on the water, it鈥檚 important to review the rules of non-powered boating, which are somewhat murky, with variable requirements in different locations.
One rule that does not vary applies to personal flotation devices (PFD), or lifejackets. There must be a PFD on board for every occupant of every boat, powered or non-powered.
With that established, there are a variety of rules for when, where, and by whom, a PFD must actually be worn. The best practice, though, is to always wear a PFD when boating, whether it is required or not. Most boating fatalities in Pennsylvania involve non-powered craft, and wearing a PFD greatly increases your odds of surviving a capsize.
All children age 12 and younger must wear a PFD on any boat of 20 feet in length or less. There鈥檚 also a mandate of the Fish and Boat Commission, which has overall jurisdiction of boating within Pennsylvania, called the 鈥渃old weather rule.鈥� It requires that everyone, regardless of age, wear a PFD during the period from Nov. 1 to April 30 in any canoe or kayak, or any boat less than 16 feet long. Immersion in cold water can incapacitate you quickly. Wearing a PFD buys you time and gives others a chance to rescue you.
To be sure you are paddling legally on Youghiogheny Reservoir, think about the cold weather rule year-round. On all Army Corps of Engineers impoundments, such as Youghiogheny Reservoir, boaters in canoes and kayaks, or any boat less than 16 feet long must wear a PFD, regardless of season.
Proper registration or permits for non-powered boats is another consideration. Those interested in buying or borrowing a canoe or kayak should know that the craft does not need to be registered with the Fish and Boat Commission. Only motorized boats must be registered, not unlike the way your register a car with PennDot.
But if you wish to use your non-powered craft on a Fish and Boat Commission lake, such as Virgin Run Lake in Fayette County or High Point Lake in Somerset County, you must buy and display either a launch permit from the Fish and Boat Commission, or a state park launch permit from the Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources. The two permits are reciprocal. You don鈥檛 need to buy both, and either one will make you legal on a Fish and Boat Commission lake, or on a state park lake, such as Laurel Hill Lake in Somerset County. Both are stickers that are displayed on the starboard side of the vessel.
Fish and Boat Commission launch permits can be purchased through the Fish and Boat Commission web page: www.fishandboat .com. State Park launch permits are available at most state park offices (but not at Ohiopyle). I generally get mine at Laurel Hill State Park, which is convenient because I often fish or paddle there. A two-year permit from either agency costs $18.00.
Having the right permit gets more complicated if you want to boat on county-owned lakes. The Westmoreland County Parks Dept., for example, offers lakes at Northmore-land, Mammoth and Twin Lakes parks. The Westmoreland County Parks Department recognizes both the Fish and Boat launch permit and the State Parks permit. It doesn鈥檛 require any special permit from the county itself. In other words, if you are legal to boat on Virgin Run Lake, for example, then you are also legal to boat on the lakes in the Westmoreland County Parks system.
The same is true in Fayette County, which has attractive lakes in both its Dunlap Creek County Park (Menallen Township) and its Jacobs Creek County Park (Bullskin Township). But, even though those lakes are within county parks, the waters are under a management agreement with the Fish and Boat Commission, so no special county launch permit is required in Fayette County parks. The Fish and Boat Commission or State Park launch permits would suffice.
But, if you decide to paddle your non-powered boat on Cross Creek Lake, which is part of the Washington County Parks Dept., you must buy an additional permit from Washington County. Their launch permits are $7.50 for Washington County residents and $10.00 for non-residents. You can get a Washington County launch permit application by calling 724-228-6867.
The rules can seem complicated, but getting outdoors on the water is worth learning the intricacies of being legal and safe.
Ben Moyer is a member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association and the Outdoor Writers Association of America.