Month: June 2010

Due to the numbers of sea kayakers that will be paddling around Shetland’s coast over the next week or so (around 60!), it is requested that individuals, or smaller parties of kayakers, do whatever they can to inform either the club or the Shetland Coastguard as to their intentions of route and duration on trips for reasons of general good safety practise, especially if they intend staying out overnight.

The friendly and attentive Shetland Coastguard can be contacted on (01595) 69 2976 or VHF Channel 16.

The club can be contacted through the website or by calling available, or known, members mobile numbers or send a text message.

Please remember: Safety first.

With the summer symposium now only a few days away, here is a draft itinerary for the weekends events.

Friday

9.30 registration and again at 5.00 p.m.
Friday afternoon – cross discipline training open canoe training and river
boats .  Plus half day paddle. Some who arrive early may want to do their
own thing and go on a longer trip.

Booked meals are from 6.30 to 7.30 in the hall followed by an open session
for the key note speaker at 7.30 onwards ( as soon as food stuff cleared
away)

Saturday

Full day paddle and half day paddle plus 4  morning training sessions –
lunch then 4 afternoon sessions .  Evening format same as Friday night with
a key note speaker.

Sunday

Same format as Sunday. Evening format same as Friday night with a key note
speaker.

Monday

Half day and full day paddle available.

Morning training sessions.

Symposium finishes noon Monday.

Training Sessions

As a taster the training sessions will be covering the following and
hopefully more once the contributors are up and assess the weather and
conditions.

• Tidal Planning theory and practical on the water.
• Understanding the weather
• Teaching and learning process for coaches and students – learning how to
  make yourself better. Theory and practical
• Forward paddling skills, Turning skills
• Possible surf training
• Rolling clinic at local pool (numbers max 12) may be able to do open water
  rolling clinic for the adventurous.
• Incident management, towing rescues etc
• 4* leader training

There will be no training on Thursday 1 July or on Thursday 8 July.

Training starts again on Thursday 15 July

If you did some pool training but haven’t got round to coming outdoors yet come along on July 15^th and make a start. We will be very happy to see you. There will be another 7 training nights before the season ends in September.

Congratulations to the 23 people who achieved One Star Performance Award during the first 7 weeks of training.  Get yourself on to a few club trips and aim to do some more training on Thursday’s to reach Two Star by the end of the season!

Trips

Tuesday evening trips and longer trips on Saturday or Sunday are open to everyone with a One Star. Try one or two evening trips to build up your fitness before going on a day trip.

For details see the website www.shetlandcanoeclub.co.uk or contact Craig Lobban on 07795674053 day or 01950477644 night, email:craig@cragden.plus.com

[simage=85,max,n,center,] There’s a new photo album in the Gallery page, from the club trip to Ronas Voe on the 6th June.  Check out the Gallery to see them all.

On Thursday (17 June) a group of 15 intrepid paddlers went to play at the outflow of Strom Loch. New paddlers were able to learn  “breaking in” to the current from an eddy and “breaking out” again. Some mastered a “ferry glide” across the river too. Our river experts, Jonathan, Steve, Jim and Paula did a great job in passing on their skills and Arthur and Mark struggled manfully against a Force 6 wind in sea kayaks to rescue those who went for a swim.

Most of us sampled the water temperature at some point in the evening! “Paddler of the evening” must go to Gregor for persistence leading to success! All of us had fun. Some have been inspired to join Jonathan on a trip to some real rivers later in the year.  If you missed Thursdays event we plan to go again as soon as there is a low tide at a convenient time. The next Thursday evening when that happens is in early September,

CHOICE OF VENUE

Normal training will still be at Bridge End Centre.

If you would like to try some river paddling follow details below.

Meet at strom bridge as soon after 6:30 as you can.

The loch empties out under the bridge into the sea and while the tide is low the flow of water creates a very short length of “river”. The flow will be enough to create gentle river conditions till about 8:30pm that evening.

This is a good chance to try river paddling and be introduced to some of the skills. It might inspire you to go on the club river trip in October! Come along and have some fun.

Getting there from Lerwick

Travel north out of Lerwick, at the Brig of Fitch bear right, take the A971 to the west towards Tingwall airstrip. Pass the airstrip with the airport on your RIGHT. Pass Wormadale and continue to the Whiteness shop. You are nearly at the bridge.

Parking could be a problem. Try to share cars or go on to Whiteness school and come back in fewer cars.