France's Mediterranean maritime préfecture has flagged paddleboarding as a growing safety concern this summer, with the Alpes-Maritimes among the departments seeing the heaviest search and rescue activity along the coast.
CROSS MED, the regional centre coordinating maritime rescue operations, recorded 3,536 operations across the Mediterranean coast in 2025, a 14 percent rise on the previous year, involving over 8,000 people. Around 80 percent of those operations were concentrated in five departments, the Var, Bouches-du-Rhône, Alpes-Maritimes, Corse-du-Sud and Hérault. While total deaths fell 17 percent to 38 in 2025, officials say newer nautical activities including paddleboarding, kitesurfing and wingfoil now represent a growing share of incidents, given how accessible and deceptively simple they appear to newcomers.
Maritime authorities are urging water users not to overestimate their physical capabilities, particularly after a heavy meal, a late night, or a long drive, and to carry a working means of communication and wear appropriate flotation gear before heading out.