Oarsum

Safety & Disclaimer

Effective Date: April 1, 2026

Oarsum is a recreational tracking app only. It is not a safety device, rescue beacon, emergency communication tool, or substitute for proper safety equipment and judgment.

Inherent risks

Kayaking, canoeing, stand-up paddleboarding, and other paddle sports carry serious, potentially fatal risks, including drowning, hypothermia, cold water shock, capsizing, collision, entanglement, weather exposure, exhaustion, medical emergencies, and isolation from rescue services. These risks exist regardless of skill level, experience, age, or fitness.

Not a safety device

Oarsum is not a rescue beacon, emergency alert system, personal locator beacon, life jacket, or flotation device. It is not connected to emergency services or coast guard resources. GPS data is stored locally on your device and is not sent to emergency services unless you manually contact them or explicitly share your location.

GPS and location limitations

GPS accuracy can degrade or fail because of poor reception, weather, trees, bridges, canyon walls, tunnels, battery drain, water damage, cold, device malfunction, or other conditions. Do not rely solely on Oarsum for navigation. Always carry appropriate backup navigation tools such as a paper map, compass, official chart, or chart plotter.

Health data limitations

Health data displayed by Oarsum, including heart rate, active energy, paddle distance, paddle speed, physical effort, workouts, and routes, is informational only. It is not medical-grade, is not medical advice, and is not a substitute for medical consultation. Oarsum is not an FDA-approved medical device.

Your responsibility for safety

  • Wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device as required by law.
  • Carry all legally required safety equipment for your jurisdiction.
  • Check weather, water conditions, hazards, daylight, and access before launching.
  • Tell a trusted person your launch, route, landing, expected return, and backup plan.
  • Follow federal, state, local, and posted waterway regulations.
  • Assess your skill, fitness, and experience honestly.
  • Never paddle under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or impairing medications.
  • Do not interact with the app while actively paddling.

Location privacy

Precise route and location history is stored locally on your device. Raw route points are not transmitted unless you choose to export, share, or explicitly attach route points to a support report. Optional analytics may send aggregate summaries and coarse Community Water Evidence cells without raw route points, exact launch coordinates, or Apple Maps names. See the Privacy Policy for complete details.

Assumption of risk and waiver

By using Oarsum, you voluntarily assume all risks of water sports, including serious injury or death. You acknowledge that you understand the dangers of paddle sports, are aware Oarsum is not a safety device, assume full responsibility for your safety, and will not hold Oarsum or its developer liable for injuries, losses, or damages.

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Oarsum is provided "as is" without warranties. Neither the developer nor associated entities are liable for injuries, deaths, property damage, data loss, device damage, app failure, inaccurate GPS or health data, distance calculation errors, or indirect, consequential, or punitive damages. Some jurisdictions do not allow disclaimers of warranties or liability limitations; in those cases, liability is limited to the amount paid for the app.

Age requirements

In the United States, Oarsum is for users 13 and older. In the European Union, Oarsum is for users 16 and older unless parental consent is available as required by local law. Parents are responsible for supervising their children's water sports use.

Safety recommendations

Take a paddling safety course, paddle with a buddy, research your waterway before launching, start with short paddles in calm water, respect your limits, monitor weather, dress for the water, keep your phone dry, carry food and water, and learn basic rescue techniques.

Updates

The developer may update this disclaimer. Continued use of Oarsum after an update constitutes acceptance of the updated disclaimer.