TONY Zerbst has snapped two canoes, lost his pants on a snag and been searching for missing teenagers in the river.
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In his 40 years of paddling, he has gotten to know the Murray well.
So whether you're sitting down or standing up paddling, he said it's important to put safety first.
“Given the number of people who use the Murray compared to the number of incidents, I think it's a pretty safe river,” Mr Zerbst said.
“The simplest safeguard is to stay away from snags and obstructions in the water.
“There is enough space in the river to be able to look ahead and around you.”
Modern designed lifejackets have made them easier to wear while doing physical activity.
Mr Zerbst said whenever he was out of his comfort zone, in a new boat or area, or if you were a beginner, a lifejacket was a must.
“At least if you do have buoyancy and you tip out of your boat or off your paddle board, you can focus on getting them back,” he said.
“After a while you don’t even notice you're wearing it.
“Just like if you go bush walking, let someone know where you are going, for how long and take an emergency phone with you in a plastic container. It's good to know what course you're taking down the river and generally speaking, if you stay to the right you won't go off on a tangent.”
There is enough space in the river to be able to look ahead.
- Tony Zerbst
Had two teenage boys known this advice, they may not have found themselves lost and stranded on an island near Wonga Wetlands.
Mr Zerbst said they'd branched out on to another course and completely missed Albury.
“Everyone was looking for them all afternoon and night, it was very traumatic for their parents,” he said. “Had they have had a phone, we could have just rung them.
“I was on the rescue boat that found them, they were shaken and embarrassed.”
Mr Zerbst has snapped two canoes in Wodonga Creek and said it's an area to avoid because of snags.
“The current is so strong and when you get a fibreglass boat wrapped around a snag, it goes off like a bomb,” he said.
“One time I was out there training and my tracksuit got caught on a snag in the river with the boat.
“The only way I could get free was to take off my bottoms.
“I had to run home in the middle of winter – that was a memorable experience.”
