Capsized small boat, kayak or SUP: what to do

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Take a minute to get your breathing under control, then hold on to the boat or board. Stay with it: it keeps you afloat and is much easier for rescuers to see than a swimmer. Get back in or climb on top as soon as you can, and call for help early if you can't.
When to call: If anyone can't get back onto or into the boat, is hurt, missing or in cold water, send a MAYDAY on VHF channel 16 (or a DSC distress alert on channel 70) or call the local rescue number; if everyone is safe and you only need a tow, use PAN-PAN. Who answers where you are →

Step by step

  1. Take a minute

    The shock of cold water passes in about a minute. Don't try to swim straight away; let your lifejacket hold you up while you get your breathing under control.[21][16]

  2. Lifejackets on everyone

    Make sure everyone is wearing a lifejacket. Hand one to anyone who isn't.[2][13]

  3. Stay with the boat

    Hold on to the boat, kayak or board. It floats better than you, and rescuers find an upturned hull far more easily than a swimmer.[1][7][14]

  4. Sailing dinghy: right it

    Stay calm and stay with the boat. Try to bring the bow into the wind, then right the boat using the centreboard or daggerboard. If help is close, call for it.[10]

  5. Kayak or canoe: get back in

    Get back in or on your kayak or canoe if you can, using the re-entry method you have practised, such as a paddle-float rescue.[7][9][20]

  6. Paddleboard: get back on your board

    Your leash keeps the board close when you fall off, so pull it in and climb back on. On rivers or in current a leash can snag; a quick-release waist leash lets you get free.[11][24][23]

  7. Can't get back in? Get out of the water

    Climb onto the upturned hull or anything floating and get as much of your body out of the water as you can. Only swim if shore or another craft is close and you are sure you can reach it.[17][22]

  8. Act fast

    In cold water your arms and legs weaken within about ten minutes. Use that time to self-rescue or to call for help.[18]

  9. Call for help

    If life is in danger, call on VHF channel 16 or the local rescue number straight away. If you have an EPIRB, PLB or flares and it is safe to reach them, use them.[15][19][3]

  10. Leave the boat only as a last resort

    Abandon the boat only if you have no other choice. Take your EPIRB and flares with you if you can.[4]

Don't

Before you sail

Frequently asked

Should I stay with a capsized boat or swim to shore?

Stay with the boat. It gives you more buoyancy than a lifejacket alone and makes you much easier to find. Only swim if safety is close and you are sure you can reach it.

How do I right a capsized sailing dinghy?

Stay calm and stay with the boat, try to get the bow into the wind, and right it using the centreboard or daggerboard. Call for help if it is nearby.

What leash should I use on a paddleboard?

An ankle or leg leash is meant for flat, calm water only. On rivers or in current, Transport Canada advises a waist leash with a quick-release you can reach with both hands.

What if I can't get back into my kayak?

Stay with the kayak, get as much of your body out of the water as you can, and call for help using the radio, phone or beacon you carry on you.

Sources

  1. NSW Government (Transport for NSW) (2026-10-14): “Stay with your capsized vessel – this makes it easier for rescuers to find you.”
  2. NSW Government (Transport for NSW) (2026-10-14): “Make sure everyone is wearing a lifejacket. Give one to passengers who are not already wearing one.”
  3. NSW Government (Transport for NSW) (2026-10-14): “If it's safe to do so, get the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) and distress flares out of the vessel to alert search and rescue services.”
  4. NSW Government (Transport for NSW) (2026-10-14): “Abandon the vessel only as a last resort. Take the EPIRB and distress flares with you, if possible.”
  5. NSW Government (Transport for NSW) (2026-10-14): “Never overload your vessel.”
  6. NSW Government (Transport for NSW) (2026-10-14): “Check your boat is fitted with appropriate internal buoyancy, such as airtight compartments or foam. This helps your boat stay afloat if it capsizes or is swamped.”
  7. Maritime New Zealand (2026-10-14): “Stay with your kayak or canoe. It is more visible than a paddler swimming in the water and will provide more buoyancy than your PFD. Get back on/in your kayak if you can.”
  8. Maritime New Zealand (2026-10-14): “Practise capsizing in calm water and leaving the cockpit (wet exit).”
  9. Safe Transport Victoria (2026-10-14): “If you capsize, stay with your vessel. Learn and practise recovery techniques such as paddle-float rescues, re-entry methods, or rolling, depending on your vessel and conditions.”
  10. Transport Canada – Rental Boat Safety Checklist (Sailing Dinghy) (2026-10-14): “If the sailboat capsizes, I know to stay calm, remain with my boat and try to put it into the wind. I know to right the sailboat using the center/daggerboard or call for help if help is near.”
  11. Transport Canada (2026-10-14): “The leash is designed to keep the board close to you if you fall off.”
  12. Transport Canada (2026-10-14): “Attaching the leash to your ankle or leg is meant for paddleboarding on flat, calm waters only.”
  13. Transport Canada (2026-10-14): “Always wear a lifejacket or PFD while paddleboarding. Using the leash attached to the board is not an approved replacement for your lifejacket or PFD.”
  14. Coastguard New Zealand (2026-10-14): “If the boat submerges and you have to go in the water, stay with the vessel – your chances of being found are much higher this way.”
  15. Coastguard New Zealand (2026-10-14): “If your boat is sinking, someone is injured or life is in danger, immediately call VHF Channel 16 (the international maritime distress channel)”
  16. Transport Canada – Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E) (2026-10-14): “Wearing your lifejacket during this stage will keep you afloat, with your mouth and nose out of the water, so you can focus on your breathing.”
  17. Transport Canada – Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E) (2026-10-14): “climb onto a nearby floating object and get as much of your body out of or above the water as possible”
  18. Transport Canada – Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E) (2026-10-14): “For the next 10 minutes or so, you will lose meaningful movement in your arms, legs and fingers. Focus on self-rescue. If that isn’t possible, find a way to keep your airway out of the water and wait for rescue.”
  19. RNLI (2026-10-14): “Take a means of calling for help as part of your kayaking kit and keep it on you, within reach, at all times.”
  20. RNLI (2026-10-14): “It's important to learn and practise techniques to get back onboard your kayak, should you capsize.”
  21. RNLI (2026-10-14): “Take a minute. The initial effects of cold water pass in less than a minute so don’t try to swim straight away.”
  22. IMO – Guide for Cold Water Survival (MSC.1/Circ.1185/Rev.1) (2026-10-14): “Do not attempt to swim unless it is to reach a fellow survivor or a nearby shore, craft, or other floating object onto which you can hold or climb.”
  23. Transport Canada (2026-10-14): “If you choose to wear a leash in these environments, make sure to wear a waist-mounted leash with a quick release or auto-fail mechanism that you can reach with both hands.”
  24. Transport Canada (2026-10-14): “If your leash gets tangled, it can pull you underwater and you could drown.”

More emergency guides

Person overboard: what to doTaking on water: what to do if your boat is leaking or sinkingFire on board: what to doEngine failure: what to do when you lose powerRan aground? What to doCold water shock and hypothermia: what to doThunderstorms, lightning and squalls on the water: what to doFog and poor visibility on the water: what to doHow to send a DSC distress alert

Rescue numbers by country → How to make a MAYDAY call → Printable emergency card →

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