OLYMPIA – The Washington State Parks Boating Program announced Tuesday in a news release that Washington State Governor Jay Inslee issued a proclamation declaring July 21 to 27 to be statewide Paddle Safe Week.

“Paddle Safe Week is a great opportunity to help reduce paddle sports-related fatalities by sharing resources and educating the community on how to recreate safely,” said Boating Program Manager Rob Sendak. “Paddlers should know that kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards are subject to boating laws and regulations.”

According to the news release, Paddle Safe Week will lead a statewide effort to create a culture of safety around paddle sports. The release noted that in the last five years, paddlers have come to represent 55% of the statewide recreational boating fatalities. The announcement attributes this statistic to growing popularity of paddle sports and a general lack of safety education.

The release specifies that the most important way to paddle safely is to always wear a life jacket on the water. State law requires all vessels, including canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards to have at least one properly fitted Coast Guard-approved life jacket for each person on board.

For more information on paddle sport safety, visit https://bit.ly/PaddleSportsSafety.