Suggestion rowers wear life jackets

Amid the uproar over a proposed Wanaka Rowing Club shed is a submission from left field - rowers should wear life jackets.

Mary Chaffey's submission based on water safety is one of 43 opposing the club's application for a lease over public reserve at Stoney Creek.

The Wanaka Community Board decides the matter today. If granted, the public can make submissions on the design.

Ms Chaffey is also arguing the club's tender is not capable of safely rescuing rowers and suggests the club is breaching maritime safety rules.

The newly formed Stoney Creek Action Group's grounds for opposing include visibility, construction materials, height and effect on neighbours.

Club committee member Nick Blennerhassett and club captain Amanda Inkster were expecting a row but were stunned by the life jacket suggestion.

"As a very athletic sport, similar to running, rowing doesn't suit the wearing of life jackets - unlike yachting, where life jackets makes sense," they said in a statement on Monday.

Club safety rules included being able to swim in clothing for at least 50m and the rescue tender carried life jackets, first aid kits and foil safety blankets.

There were protocols about who could row when, in what conditions and what to do if an accident happened, they said.

The club argues the western shore by Stoney Creek is safest and has fewer conflicts with motorboats.

Most opposers want the club to go east, with the yacht and power boat club, the marina, the ski lanes and the scout den.

Longtime residents Loris King and Kevin King suggest Eely Point is calmer but the club says boating conflicts have resulted in novice capsizes there.

Glenda Sheriff has submitted the safe site does not give a right to build there and the athletes could row there.

Water Safety New Zealand project manager Matt Claridge said, when contacted yesterday, he generally found organised water sports clubs did not have many training or competition accidents.

Rowers were not included in water sports/recreation drownings between 2006 and 2010.

The most risky sport was swimming - 66 swimmers had died in the past five years, 17 in 2010.

Reported drownings and immersions from boating activities for the same period revealed 18 drownings where the boat was defined as a "rowing craft/dinghy".

"You will find none of those were for a rowing club, that's for sure," he said.

Statistics show 87 people drowned last year and 160 people were admitted to hospital after an immersion. Most people drowned in rivers.

Dunstan Arm Rowing Club member Alex Smolenski died rowing in March last year. The police have referred the death to the coroner. The report has not been released.