Equipment, caps and vests

Club caps

• Wear your club or lifesaving authority skull cap, fastened under the chin, at the start and finish of each race and until your name is recorded (§4.2g).
• Everyone in a team wears identical caps, and handlers wear the same cap (§2.8.3b). Club colours are those registered with LSA (§2.8.11).
• When a club has more than one team in an event, each team is told apart by numbers or letters on caps, upper arms or vests (§2.8.12).
• Team managers, coaches and handlers also wear the club cap in the arena (§4.2h).

Hi-vis vests, helmets and flotation

Competitors and handlers going beyond knee depth wear high-visibility vests in the colours LSA sets for the competition; the vests are bought from LSA and go over swimwear (§2.8.4). Helmets are optional in craft events and must meet EN 1395 (§2.8.3). Lifejackets are optional in craft events (§2.8.5).

Swimwear and wetsuits

Swimwear must be woven textile, non-see-through and no more than 0.8 mm thick; men's may not go above the navel or below the knee, women's may not cover the neck, shoulders or arms or go below the knee, and nipper girls may not wear two-piece swimsuits (§2.8.1). Wetsuits are allowed when the water is below 16 °C, compulsory below 13 °C, and up to 5 mm thick for swimming (§2.8.8). No eyewear or jewellery in beach flags (§2.8.6, §2.8.13), and no footwear except in the beach runs (§2.8.7).

Craft and equipment specifications (summary)

• Boards: the standard board is up to 3.2 m and at least 7.6 kg with one fin; nipper soft and hard boards are up to 2.9 m (§10.4).
• Bodyboards: 1.0–1.05 m long and 500–600 mm wide, with two handles and no fin or leash (§10.4.2).
• Single ski: up to 5.79 m, at least 18 kg and 480 mm wide (§10.16). Double ski: at least 23 kg (§10.17).
• Ski paddles: no metal tips (§10.19).
• Rescue tube: body 875–1 000 mm long, 600–750 g, red, yellow or orange (§10.11). Fins: up to 650 mm long and 300 mm wide (§10.13).
• Batons: 250–300 mm flexible tubes about 25 mm across (§10.3).

Boards and skis must carry the decal showing they were made to LSA specifications, or the craft is disqualified (§4.4.1h). Skis carry their number on all faces (§4.4.1i).