PaddleSafe Waterways Guide

I can’t create an account in the app. I can on the website version, but in the app it says ‘there is no user with ID login’. If I try to create an account it says ‘sorry, unable to create an account at this time’ . ☹️ In all other regards, a really helpful app with lots of info on kayaking locations and trips.

I am busting to use this app. Went for first paddle in brand new canoe yesterday. I have managed to create an account on the website, but the app seems incapable of managing anything to do with accounts, IDs, emails, password resets etc Hopefully someone will come to my aid. Should I have submitted a “Paddle Plan” before venturing into the app wilderness??

I used this a lot last season to plan kayak trips, but the river height data that used to be part of the app doesn’t seem to work. Update: got a reply today... Our web site support has finally had time away from other clients to fix the river level process on the waterways guide. So we now have the information available from the Bureau of Meteorology being updated on the Waterways guide. We are still working on the data from the NSW office of water and will also look at other sources in other states. I am pretty sure this has been as frustrating for you as it has been for us . Now all we need is some rain.

Last Sunday a friend and I went for a training paddle. The weather forecast for the day was for a major east coast low to hit with 50 mm of rain and 50 knot winds, but that would be the afternoon. I meet Dee at our launch site at Kogarah Bay and discussed our plan to paddle up the Woronora River. Once our plan was set, I completed the Paddlesafe plan and emailed to my wife - return by 1pm, call police at 3pm. A combination of tide, wind, ran in (and my need for a second cup of coffee at the Wororona Boat Shed) meant we did not return to the boat ramp until 3.45pm. I then sent a text to my wife tell her I was safe - my phone was full of calls and texts from my wife. When I got home, I asked her when she was going to call the police, she thought 4pm (maybe). For my mind, she made a mistake. If she called the police at 3pm, it would have taken them an hour to assess the situation, get down to Kogarah bay, find our cars and call for a maritime search. The only boat we saw all day was a maritime rescue boat which was comforting. I doubt a maritime search would have commenced before 4pm, one hour before dusk. But my mistake (other than paddling on the eve of a storm, taking my slow kayak, having a second cup of coffee, not considering the impact of tides on timing) was not talking throughout the implication of when to call the police to my wife. She was unsure when to make a fuss, even though my nominated time had passed. The Paddlesafe app worked perfectly - it communicated to my wife my launch point, my route, my paddle partner, my rego, my return time and my ‘call the police’ time - all completed as Dee and I stood in the carpark of Kogarah Bay - but it did not give my wife the confidence and urgency to call the police when she should have. That was my failing. I think all paddlers should be using this technology - it better than the paper float plan - its connection between intention, maps, planning and the email is fantastic. The limitations are in what we do with the information. A good lesson was learnt and I am sure my wife will panic appropriately next time. Andy

Constantly using - excellent for planning trips. Love it - thanks for making it!!

Good info will use the trip planner