Safety: The end of summer

It is no longer summer, the nights are drawing in and there is not much time for an outing afloat in daylight after work. The clocks will change in a few weeks (on Sunday 31 October) and so it will be dark early in the evening.

Look on the bright side, early morning outings will still be possible for a few weeks.

So what can we do if we want to row in the dark? How can we prepare?

This is the time to get ready so that the kit will be available and in good working order when we need it. It is time to find the lights that we fit to the boat and check them;

• Do they still work?
• Have we got enough of them?
• Do we need more batteries?

Please remember that lights on boats are not there so that we can see where we are going. They are there so that others can see us and tell where we are going, and we can see where they are going.

However, we will only see other boats if we look for them. We need to keep an even better lookout when it is dark. The other thing that helps is to wear white above the waist when it is dark. This is equivalent to wearing hi-vis in daylight; it simply makes it easier for others to see us.

Not only will there be less daylight, it will also get colder. This is not a big problem for rowers who are working hard and generating their own heat. However, it is a hazard that coxes and coaches have to manage. If you cox or coach then make sure that you dress for the conditions.