Think outside the box …
Not wanting to be a killjoy but 50 lbs for a SUP is no fun whatsoever.
Can you lower the sup by a rope from a balcony? Can you find a friend or business close to the water who will let you store the board on their property?
Does your landlord have a spot in the basement or parking garage you could lock the thing up with a finbox lock?
Is there a panel in the ceiling of the elevator? I used to move furniture in a highrise apt complex , we used to open a panel in the elevator to move items like couches.
Contact Bergen Cty Parks Department
It’s probably safe to say that no one here can answer the legal question.
If I were you I’d simply contact the Bergen County Parks Department to get clarification from someone in authority.
If there really is some launch rule against inflatables, you’ll just have to access the creek from somewhere other than that park or find somewhere else to paddle.
Get yourself a …
Kokatat SeaO2 PFD. Now you have a secondary inflation chamber 
sub-$1000 yes
Yes sir, the inflatable SUP that I have is supposed to be “the most durable” one as shown here… http://www.redpaddleco.com/know-how/durability/
its the only high-pressure inflatable that can go 3x the average 11-psi inflatable SUP.
That was the reason why I got this 
all good questions
Hi, Thanks for your replies with all good questions. Yea I live up 3rd floor and we’re not allowed to rope something up/down the balcony, and i have nobody that will let me keep a whole-piece SUP in their garage or businesses. And yes, that tri-fold SUP seems nice but you’re right about having to carry it (50 pounds), plus, the rods / holes might not last long so it might not be worth it or worth the trouble in the future.
I agree, a whole piece SUP board will be better.
bergen county officials
Yes yes as a matter of fact I want to share what I wrote to them…
Greetings,
I finally got the really expensive and the most durable inflatable SUP on the market (with proof of being indestructible) … http://www.redpaddleco.com/know-how/durability/
Yesterday while at the kayak launch site @ Overpeck park in Leonia NJ (bergen county), and in the process of inflating my SUP, i was told by a patroling officer that Inflatable SUP are not allowed.
Is this for real ?? I do have type III PFD and ankle leash as required by law.
I really prefer Overpeck park because its nearby my home and alot safer compared to Hudson River (can get tidal) or beach (waves and can push me away far into the sea) and I don’t want to waste gas travelling to south jersey.
Overpeck Park creek is the “safest” if you care about my safety , I don’t want to risk my life by going to Hudson River or Beach.
Please tell me if you can do anything about this matter; I’ll appreciate it. I want to do this solely for exercise reason (core muscles). And I’m one of the few Overpeck park visitor who actually picks up garbage when I see them laying on the ground.
Sincerely,
-------------------- and this is his reply ----------
Good Evening,
The cost of the item of course cannot effect my decision on whether or not this type of craft will be allowed to be used on the lake. The particular model you bought might to “top of the line”, but by allowing you to use it on the lake I would be setting the precedence for similar type of inflatable devices of lessor quality to be acceptable for use as well.
Per this meeting I am advising you that I will ask the representatives of our insurance committee to discuss your concern at their next monthly meeting, which is in September.
Ronald Kistner
Director of Parks
County of Bergen
Department of Parks
rkistner@co.bergen.nj.us
------------ then my reply -----------------------
Ron,
I highly appreciate your time for this. May I suggest scouting an area for inflatable kayak/SUP ? Not necessarily Overpeck park but hopefully some place not so far away.
I have seen several people with inflatable kayaks @ this particular boat launch (overpeck park), it will enlighten them as well. Paddling is excellent for core exercises and it should be encouraged.
You’ll put our lives in more danger if you send us away to Hudson river ( tidal )
Sincerely,
Alexander
Their concern. Your arguments.
– Last Updated: Aug-15-12 3:24 AM EST –
This is typical bureaucratic fear of a lawsuit.
They are not concerned at all whether you die paddling the Hudson River, climbing Everest or hang gliding off the Empire State building instead of paddling in Overpeck. They are only concerned about lawsuits arising on premises within their jurisdiction, and whether those lawsuits will be covered by their liability insurance.
Your argument strategy should thus be to convince them and their liability insurer that inflatable SUPs are not presenting a liability risk any greater than canoes or kayaks -- or bathers, if swimming is allowed. You can probably find ACA drowning stats to back up this assertion.
Absent stats, I'd point out to them that the risk of drowning to a SUP paddler who falls of the board is actually less than the risk to a canoeist or kayaker who falls out of their craft. That's because it's much easier to self-rescue with a SUP. You just climb back on, whereas with a kayak you have to know the Eskimo roll and with a canoe solo self rescue is impossible for most people.
Second, I'd argue that the risk of a SUP drowning could be diminished almost to zero by amending their rules to allow inflatable use only by adults and only by adults who are wearing a PFD at all times.
Finally, you could supplement the previous safety argument by suggesting that they wouldn't be setting a precedent for all inflatables if they further modified their inflatable rule to allow only those inflatables that are designed and manufactured specifically for ocean surf conditions, as yours is.
In other words, you could suggest the following rule modification for inflatable usage should not increase liability risks over and above canoe and kayak usage:
Inflatables will be allowed only if (1) the inflatable is designed and manufactured to withstand ocean surf conditions, (2) the paddler is an adult, and (3) the paddler wears a Coast Guard approve PFD at all times.
Drowning
Telling the officials that you fear you’ll drown using your inflatable SUP on the Hudson does not help your case.
transport already inflated…
if you can. Show up with it looking like a solid SUP, and you’d be fine. Even if the same official saw you, and recognized you, he probably wouldn’t ask about it. You’d have made yourself look legitimate, so, he wouldn’t need to CYA himself by asking about it.
good advice
…if you really want to try and do something about it, this sounds like very good advice.
wow Thank you for your brilliant …
Thank you very much for your brilliant suggestions/advice
I totally agree with you all Thanks again and wish me luck !
There are other places to go
in our fair state. And due to budget cut backs patrols by the police are usually during the busiest times.
Here is a list; http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/fishplc.htm
And here is where you can find NJ boating regulations, you can search for inflatable rules;
http://njsp.org/maritime/
Good Luck
Good summary
Glenn has it nailed down - it’s all about liability.
Years back, I was gearing up to kayak in Meadow Lake in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. This lake has sailboat rentals, and hosts the annual Dragon Boat races so sees a great deal of boating. Before I could get in the water, the park police came and told me that the lake was off limits to kayaks “for safety reasons”.
When I expressed skepticism, the cop actually called the local park commissioner who suggested I put in to the East River at the World’s Fair Marina instead. After pointing out how much more dangerous Flushing Bay is than Meadow Lake and going back and forth for a while, I finally got her to admit that see was sending me to a more dangerous location only for the sake of the liability insurance. The cop got a good chuckle from all this - I bet he wasn’t too popular with her afterwards.
im interested
How would a park or government be liable for a punctured sup or the resulting injuries?
Would that liability be more than a kid on a swing, or someone playing baseball?
I’m having a hard time believing this is even true. I think I would immediately move counties or states.
Ryan L.
You underestimate …
… the creative frivolity of plaintiffs trial attorneys and the cynical ripoff game known as insurance litigation. Here’s a summary:
Plaintiff’s lawyers file tens of thousands of marginally frivolous lawsuits every year, for real or imagined injuries, against defendants who have big liability insurance policies. The plaintiffs lawyer will get 30%-40% of the eventual settlement, which almost always will happen at the end.
The insurance company, not the defendant, hires the defense lawyer, who bills the insurance company by the hour. Hence the defense lawyer has a financial interest in dragging the suit out for as many hours and years as possible.
The insurance company also hires other private lawyers to “manage” all these tens of thousands of cases every year. These case management lawyers also bill the insurance company by the hour, and therefore also have a financial incentive to drag the suits on and on.
Years go by to the financial benefit of all the lawyers and to no benefit of the plaintiff or defendant.
Ultimately, when things can’t be dragged out or postponed any longer, the case will settle with insurance company money. It’s only a matter of how much. Liability and factual guilt or innocence are largely irrelevant. It’s all about continuing everyone’s interest in milking the insurance litigation cash cow.
In the end, the litigation costs are recouped with a profit by the insurance companies by increasing liability insurance premiums. Because these lawsuits almost always succeed and with ever increasing settlement amounts, the insureds (companies, governmental entities, professionals) are frightened to go without insurance and keep swallowing the ever-increasing premiums. To recoup those costs, they raise the prices of their products and services.
I know doctors in Florida who pay $750,000 per year for malpractice premiums. They have never been convicted or even accused of malpractice, but they incur these huge costs because the the long history of milking the gigantic insurance litigation cash cow.
If some kid or pregnant woman gets injured while using an inflatable in a park, you can bet there are lots of plaintiffs lawyers who will take that case, allege some sort of neglect by the county, and eventually end up with a big settlement - most of which, after fees, costs and expenses, will end up in the pockets of the lawyers.
Next case.