🛟 Rules & Safety
Paddle Smart, Stay Safe
Read before you go. Tap a section to expand. Print or screenshot to take with you.
Rental Rules
Insurance, responsibility, laws, 25-hour period.
- 🛡️All clients are insured up to 500 000 ₺. Insurance is valid for persons aged 12 to 65 years.
- 👨👧Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or adult at all times.
- ⚖️Obey Turkish law. Being under the influence of alcohol or drugs is strictly prohibited.
- ⏱️Rental lasts 25 hours from pickup. You bear full responsibility for the equipment — treat it with care and keep it clean.
- 🚢Do not paddle in vessel traffic lanes. Stay clear of vessels and their routes. If you end up in a ship's path — move away fast or wave something brightly coloured to signal.
- 🏝️In national parks (e.g. Dilek Milli Parkı): land only at designated beaches. Outside national parks — any shore is permitted.
Using Your SUP Board
Valve UP · green-yellow zone · lock the fin · clean surface.
Before inflating — check the valve. The valve has a small pin that must point UP (closed position) before you start pumping. If it points down, all the air escapes when you disconnect the pump. Press and turn the pin until it pops up.
- 🌡️Inflate until the gauge needle is in the green-yellow zone (approx. 12–15 PSI). Do not exceed the maximum mark.
- 🔩Before entering the water, make sure the fin is fully locked (clip or screw). An unsecured fin is lost in the water.
- 🧹Unfold the board on a clean surface with no sharp objects. When packing up after your session — also fold on a clean surface. Get on the board standing knee-deep in water, never on sand, to protect the fin.
Fins and boards cost money. The cost of any damaged part or board is charged to the renter. Prices are specified in your rental contract. Please treat the equipment as if it were your own.
What to Bring
Glasses strap, sun protection, life vest, water — and a good mood.
- 🦺Life vest — always take it. Wear it in choppy conditions or secure it to the board on calm days. Either way, it must come with you.
- 🧴Sun protection — clothing that covers the skin plus sunscreen. The Aegean sun is intense.
- 🕶️Glasses strap or retention cord — if you fall, your sunglasses won't end up on the seabed.
- 🎒Waterproof bag — protects your belongings. Available to rent from Pink Apple.
- 📱Waterproof phone case — for photos and keeping your phone safe. Available to purchase from Pink Apple.
- 💧Drinking water — you lose more than you think on the water.
- 😄A good mood — required, non-negotiable!
When & How to Paddle
Morning or sunset · check the wind · leash always on.
- 🌅Best time: early morning (calmest sea, almost no wind) or sunset on a calm evening. Midday wind is usually strongest.
- 💨Check the wind forecast before going out — apps: Windy, Windguru.
| Beginner — safe limit | 7 kn (~13 km/h) |
| Confident paddler — limit | 10–12 kn |
| Everyone off the water above | 15 kn |
- ⚪When you see whitecaps (white foam on the waves) the wind is already at 12–15 knots. Head back to shore.
OFFSHORE WIND — THE MOST DANGEROUS CONDITION.
When the wind blows from the land toward the sea it feels calm on the beach — but it will push you further out, and paddling back against it is exhausting and potentially impossible. If the wind is blowing off the land — do not go out.
- 🔗Always wear your leash. If you fall off, the wind can blow the board away in seconds.
- 🏊Golden rule: never paddle further from shore than you could comfortably swim back.
How to Learn (Beginners)
Start kneeling, look at the horizon, paddle from the core.
- 1️⃣Get on the board standing knee-deep in water (this protects the fin from damage).
- 2️⃣Start sitting or kneeling, centred on the board — the carry handle marks the centre.
- 3️⃣Look at the horizon — not down at your feet. Looking down is the fastest way to lose balance.
- 4️⃣Use the paddle as a third leg for balance while you find your footing.
- 5️⃣Start paddling right away — it is easier to stay balanced while moving than when standing still.
- 6️⃣Progress gradually: kneeling → crouch → stand. Feet parallel, shoulder-width apart, knees soft.
Paddle technique
- 🔄The blade angles forward (toward the nose of the board). The most common beginner mistake is holding the paddle backwards.
- 📐Plant the paddle vertically in the water. End each stroke at your feet — pulling further creates drag and wastes energy.
- 💪Power from your core, not your arms. Think: "pull the board toward the paddle." Keep your arms mostly straight.
How to fall — everyone does! Fall away from the board into the water, not onto the board itself. Aim for water, not the deck or fins.
Emergency Contacts — Kuşadası
Save these before you go. 112 connects to all services.
All emergencies / Ambulance
112
Coast Guard (at sea)
158
Police
155
Gendarmerie
156
Fire
110
Foreigners' help
157
Traffic police
154
Forest fire
177
🏥 Hospitals & clinics
Kuşadası Devlet Hastanesi (State · 24h ER)
0256 618 24 14
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Kuşadası Toplum Sağlığı Merk. (Public polyclinic)
0256 613 05 50
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Özel Egemed Hastanesi (Private · 24h)
0256 613 16 16
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🤿 Lost something in the water?
Kusadasi Diving Center (7/24)
+90 532 707 49 09
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⚠️ Phone recovery depends on depth — call to check availability and price. If your phone fell into salt water: switch it off immediately, do not charge it, and get it out as fast as possible.