Awhile back, October of 2022 to be specific, I was a guest on a running themed podcast called “The Mile 99 Interview”. (You can listen to the interview here.) During that interview I talked about my new love for paddling and how it compared to running. I was asked if I had ever heard of the event the “Seventy48”. Its an event where you have 48 hours to paddle 70 miles up the Puget Sound. It immediately piqued my interest. Fast forward to 2024 and I was registered for the event!
Preparation
There were some perquisites to this race. Participants have to apply and submit a resume of their skills and accomplishments to show that they are capable of completing this endeavor. This race involved several elements such as paddling at night, paddling through ferry lanes and near shipping lanes, and navigation. Paddlers most stay out of the shipping lanes and stay at least 100 yards from ferries. There are six ferry crossings along the course to be weary of. Additionally, paddlers must be possess a VHF Marine radio and know how to use it for monitoring vessel traffic or calling hailing the coast guard for help. Due to the length of the course participants must have some experience in the areas of endurance training and nutrition management.
About a month before the race a volunteer reached out to me to schedule a safety inspection of my vessel and gear to make sure I met the all the requirements.
Gear
Safety
Visual Distress Signal – Because I was flying to the event and unsure if I could take flares on the plane I invested in a electronic visual distress signal. It was basically a bright LED light that could be seen for up to 10 nautical miles. Link here.
Sound Signaling Device – The safety inspector recommended an air horn but those are prohibited on planes also so I carried two whistles instead.
VHF Marine Radio – This was something I’m accustomed to carrying due to all the open ocean paddles I do. I went with the Standard Horizon HX320. It’s not as fancy as some of the others – no navigation, or GPS, or DSC – but it had a longest battery life of 17 hours when on.
Personal Flotation Device – Initially I invested in a ninja PFD from NSR but it found it bulky and uncomfortable. Thankfully USCG states that ISO Level 70 PFDs meet the requirement and Mustang Survival makes a lightweight inflatable waist belt PFD. Link here.
Navigation – I recently upgraded my running watch to a Garmin Fenix 7x. This watch has outstanding battery life, built-in maps, and a capacitive touch screen. I was able to load course waypoints onto the watch and relied on it for navigation. As a backup, I also carried a compass mounted on the bow.
Lights – As a 14′ SUP the only lighting requirement was to have a visible white light on the stern and or bow of the craft. Since my board has a FCS mount on the bow for action cameras, I found a LED light that would mount perfectly. Link here.
PLB Personal Locator Beacon – Another required item was a GPS tracker which was provided by the race.
Clothing
This was one of the areas I was the most apprehensive about. I’m a fare weather paddler! In my home town of Dana Point, CA I paddle barefoot in board shorts and a tee shirt or light rash guard. I didn’t even own a pair of booties. However, the PNW is a different story and the water is cold. I was advised to dress for immersion, however unlikely it would be that I would fall in. Based on that advice I carried the following:
Started out wearing:
NRS Hydroskin Pants .5 mm
Board Shorts
Short sleeve top
Long sleeve hoodie
Booties 5 mm
Smartwool Thermal Merino Wool Beanie
Brought but never used:
NRS Hydroskin Wetsuit Top .5 mm
NRS Hydroskin Wetsuit Jacket .5 mm
NRS Cove Full Fingered Gloves
Thankfully it was not a cold year, and I never had to wear the wetsuit top or jacket.
Food and Nutrition
It was hard to gauge how much water and how many calories I would need for this adventure. I had a goal time in mind of < 24 hours and used that as a basis.
I toted about 8 liters of water via two bottles and a 6 L Hyrdrapak bag. Link here. For food I brought 24 Probar Bolt Energy chews, Fig Newtons, and a few Uncrustables.
Packs and Straps
To mount everything to my board I used a Sea to Summit ultralight waterproof day pack which I loved. It was completely waterproof, super lightweight, and if I needed to take my gear with me it straps so I could wear it as a backpack. Link here. My board did have bungies already attached and I invested in the NSI Bungee Deck Attachment to have additional tie downs just in case.
Training
Support
Race Report
The race went very well.
